Lilliputian
by QuestionablyCapableGhoul
Summary: When a strange, short blonde with amazing golden eyes appears at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, no one knows how to react. Set in book 5 (sorry, I know it's overused, couldn't resist!) This is my first fanfic, please enjoy! (Update as of Dec 2017: I'm warning you; it's shitty. And, plot? Don't make me laugh. There is no coherent plot. You've been warned.)
1. 1

**Hi! This is my first fanfiction. I'm kind of nervous about this, but I hope to improve my writing over the chapters to come. Well, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist.**

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Chapter 1

(Harry POV)

Harry gazed angstily out the window. An ambient light permeated the grey clouds above, reflecting his mood exactly and bathing Grimmauld Place in weak light. It had been a long, dreadfully boring afternoon. Just as his thoughts turned yet again to dementors and his upcoming trial, a brilliant celeste light disrupted the quiet drowsiness of the afternoon.

Harry, alarmed, jumped out of his dusty chair and ran down the stairs. He heard a startled, "Bloody hell!" as Ron opened the squalling door (it was in desperate need of oiling). Coming up next to Ron, Harry peered out into the grey afternoon. He saw nothing, until he heard a groan from near his feet and directed his eyes downward. A person was sitting on the front step and rubbing his back, groaning.

He was wearing black leather pants, a strangely militaristic, high-collared black shirt, heavy combat boots, pristine white gloves, and a long crimson jacket. Their long hair was akin to spun gold and their eyes were startlingly hued; the coloring was like molten gold.

"Where the hell am I?" The person's voice had an odd sound, but Harry couldn't place it. Ron, who was startled, burst out, "Who the bloody hell are you? How'd you see the house?" The person looked up in evident surprise. "I'm Edward Elric. Who are you? What do you mean, see the house? It's a damn huge place, how could I miss it!"

The lanky redhead didn't really know how to respond to this, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Harry, who thought he ought to take the conversation into his own hands, was about to open his mouth when Mad-Eye, Sirius, and Lupin, who'd heard the commotion from the dining room, pointed their wands at the short red-coated boy who was slowly rising to his feet. Harry thought this was a tad unnecessary, and evidently so did Mrs Weasley, who glared at the defensive men until they lowered their wands.

"Are you alright? You look like you're in pain." Her motherliness came first and foremost. Harry remembered her affability when he'd first met her four years ago.

"Yeah...who are you people?" Edward asked, rubbing the back of his neck and looking about.

"I'm Mrs Weasley, but please call me Molly. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Aside from not knowing where I am…."

That decided it for Mrs Weasley. Harry watched, feeling very curious, as she pulled Edward inside. He saw his friends, further down the musty hall, and walked towards them, Ron in tow. Sirius shut the front door and accompanied Mad-eye and Lupin into the dining room where Edward was now.

"Let's see what they're doing," Harry urged the other teens and they all trailed into the dining room. Edward was eating from a heaping plate, stopping only to praise Mrs Weasley's cooking. She smiled happily as she set about fixing dinner. The three men, on the other hand, eyed Edward skeptically. Mad-eye was exceptionally suspicious, so much so that it was nearly palpable.

Edward looked at them, too. He swallowed and said, "Hey. I'm Edward Elric. Nice to meet you." Harry noticed how quickly Edward had made himself at home here.

The other teens were introducing themselves cautiously (except the twins; that concept meant nothing to them), not quite sure how to handle the golden-haired newcomer. Harry felt the same way.

Lupin and Sirius relaxed enough to sit down and tell him their names, too, but Mad-eye, being Mad-eye, simply glared harder at the unperturbed Edward.

Harry would've liked to have asked him some questions, but Mrs Weasley shooed the adolescents away, scolding them for bothering the guest. They trudged up to Ron and Harry's room.

Hermione stuck her nose in a book but the others' only intention was to discuss the new oddity in their midst. They really didn't know much about Edward, so eventually their discussion turned to Quidditch, but the blonde was still on their minds. Harry joined in the conversation, his mind still running over the youth who'd appeared on the front step.

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(Hermione POV)

The ravenous assembly, consisting of Edward, Hermione, Harry, the Weasleys (minus Percy, Charlie and Bill), Sirius, Mad-eye and Lupin, finished dinner quickly and began to bombard Edward with questions.

"Where are you from?" Remus asked.

"Not telling." Hermione narrowed her eyes. She didn't trust him. Not a whit.

"How did you get here?" Mad-eye Moody butted in. The ex-Auror would most likely domineer the 'interrogation', him being so inherently distrustful. No one minded, as long as they could figure out the strange circumstances around the red-coated blonde.

"No idea. Where is here?" This piqued everyone's interest. Hermione was surprised. He just showed up here with no idea where he was? Edward became far more suspicious in Hermione's mind.

"London, England. You really have no idea?" Mad-eye growled.

"Yep. Where's London, England? I don't think I've heard those words before." There was a pause. Hermione's feeling of distrust deepened, and Mad-eye probably didn't believe him either.

And so the questioning continued, although they didn't get much out of Ed. His last name was Elric, he came from a very faraway country (although his accent sounded faintly German, Hermione thought), and he truly had no idea what England was (that ruled out Germany and made him look very sketchy). When it was all done (meaning Edward refused to divulge any more information), the teens were sent to bed. They all exchanged puzzled glances and went their separate ways. Hermione changed and got into her bed, analyzing the blonde and feeling very doubtful about his trustworthiness.

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(General POV)

No one asked Edward about magic, though. They didn't know if he was a wizard or not, and weren't exactly sure how to break the subject to someone of dubious magical ability. After the adults had a brief debate about what to do with Ed (he'd asked them to call him that), they decided to have him sleep in Harry and Ron's room (they reached a consensus that that was the most convenient place to put him.

Remus had sent an owl to Dumbledore. maybe he was too important of a person to drag into the whole shebang, but a gut feeling told him Dumbledore would be key in figuring out what to do with the diminutive blonde.

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(Harry POV)

Harry woke up just moments before Ron did. They were still trying to drift off to sleep again when Hermione, followed by Ginny and the twins, burst in. Harry felt irritated; his last chances of getting some more sleep had just flown out the window.

"That Ed's a weirdo," George was saying as he walked in, "Up at the crack of dawn and hiding someplace in this dump." Fred clucked his tongue in agreement.

"What was Ed doing up so early in the morning?" Harry asked, finally noticing that their new (hopefully temporary) housemate was not on his mattress.

"Who knows, mate? I reckon 'e must be off his rocker, what with all his secretiveness last night." Ron yawned. Harry couldn't help but grin at his best friend's easygoing demeanor.

"While we're on the topic, why'd he say, "Can't say," so much?" Ginny butted in.

"D'you think he's a Death Eater?"

"Don't think so, George...I mean, 'e looks twelve." Ron said.

"What about magic? Is he a wizard?" Harry was eager to have his say.

"I dunno," Ron spoke slowly, thinking it out as he said it, "But did you see that weird bluish light?"

"He must be a wizard."

"But we never saw him at Hogwarts." Hermione said.

"Mind you, 'Mione, but Hogwarts is bloody big. And we were awful busy most of the time." Ron put in.

"True…" She went back to thinking quietly.

"Did you see 'is reaction when we introduce ourselves?"

"More like didn't react." Harry said.

"Yeah...he didn't even blink when 'e heard your name, Harry."

"What a wacko."

The six teens sat gloomily. Their thoughts were all on the strange blonde. Sitting around unresponsively, they were all shaken abruptly out of their stupor when Mrs Weasley barged in and began lecturing them for not helping clean the house.

At lunch, they finally saw Ed again. He strolled in the kitchen door, his red coat draped over one shoulder, and the odd clothing he'd been wearing yesterday still on.

"You! Where were you?" Ron yelled, ever the blunt one, pointing an accusing finger. Ed regarded him coolly. "I found your library." Ron reddened. "Hey! Don't mess with me! You're only twelve!" Harry groaned internally. Ron was his best friend, but he could be an idiot. He was also slightly taken aback by Edward's reply; he hadn't guessed him to be bookish.

Ed's calm front broke. "I'M NOT TWELVE YOU DIMWIT I'M FIFTEEN, DAMMIT!" The assembled eaters were startled by his sudden mood change. "That makes you the same age as us. We never heard your name at Hogwarts." (They'd assumed that Ed was a wizard.)

Ed sat down with a thud in an empty chair. "The hell is that?" Now all assembled were confused. Very confused. Hermione decided to clear the air. Harry saw that Mad-eye wasn't confounded at all, or maybe he just didn't show it.

"I don't get you people. Your library is full of these damn nonsensical books! They're all about magic, and that's a load of bullshit!"

Harry leaned in, feeling baffled and surprised. "You...aren't a wizard?" Ed chuckled, but stopped when he saw everyone's expressions. "Wait, you're actually serious?" They all nodded gravely, although Fred and George were trying not to crack up.

Ed laughed. "You're serious! Great! I'm stuck with a bunch of nutjobs!"

They couldn't stop themselves. George lit a vase on fire a flick of his wand, then put it out again, leaving the vase unmarked. Ed stared in disbelief. "That..that defies logic. This is wrong. This disregards the laws….this disregards logic! I mean, sure, I knew you were serious, but...this is fucking unbelievable!" The twins exploded with laughter.

Ginny whacked them both in the head. "No magic in front of Muggles!" She berated them. Meanwhile, Hermione was deep in thought. His reaction wasn't unusual...but still….most Muggles would've reacted with a startled yell or an expression of awe. Not muttered about logic and laws - whatever he meant by that.

The twins were sulking and nursing their Ginny-inflicted wounds. Sirius turned to Ed, joining the conversation. "Sorry, they don't know how to handle themselves around Muggles."

"What the hell's a Muggle? And Pigfarts?"

"A Muggle is Non-magic person, and Hogwarts - not Pigfarts-"

Ed cut in, muttering loudly, "Not that that's much better."

"-is a school for magic."

Ed frowned. "Alright, then, magic," he said, "Explain how it works."

That was most definitely unusual. "You're really odd, aren't you." Harry said to him, folding his arms. Ed looked amused. "Yeah, but I've been called worse for a lot less." He grinned lopsidedly.

The same thought was in everyone's heads, (besides the twins, who knows what goes on in their heads?) that this was no ordinary person. Harry found that he kind of liked him, though.

"You're seriously fifteen?" Hermione asked.

Ed shrugged.

There was another long silence. They'd never met someone who absorbed that kind of a shock so unflinchingly. Ed stood up and wandered off. The remaining group was left with a lot of questions. Harry realized that they'd never explained the whole magic thing to Ed.

* * *

(Ed POV)

[ _I can feel it. Something's going to go wrong. It fills me with an unholy glee as fiery and dark as the blood in my heart that goes BOOM BOOM BOOM sending it to my fingertips. Fingertips itching for something…._ ]

At dinner, Mr Weasley was fascinated with Ed, who felt uncomfortable next to the eager wizard. "According to Harry", Mr Weasley explained his eagerness, "You're was a Muggle!" They hadn't talked the night prior to this one (Edward discovered that Mr Weasley worked for the Ministry, which he'd read about in the library), so what the balding man expected was not what he got.

[ _It's coursing through my veins. It's like wine, the alcohol burning but I don't mind; it makes me alive. It's lighting the fire._ ]

It became apparent even to the over-eager Arthur Weasley that Ed had little knowledge of most Muggle things. Ed didn't know how to get out of answering Mr Weasley's prying questions without revealing that he came from Amestris, which, according to the half of the library he'd read, didn't exist here.

[ _The fire is still so small - no more than embers - I am still asleep but I am waking._ ]

That meant he was in a different world. Ed was secretly panicking as he ate his dinner quietly. He'd barged in and made himself at home, but it was hitting him suddenly that he was surrounded by strangers, and had no hope of finding a way home. He sighed dejectedly, gold eyes darkening as he watched his fork.

[ _I'm waking up, I am like some transcendent primordial being with fire for blood._ ]

Ed's eyes brightened like lanterns as he jumped at a loud, _CRACK!_ An old man, with a beard and hair long enough to be tucked into the belt that was clasped over what looked like a dress appeared in the dining room. After being offered a seat, he looked gravely over his half-moon spectacles at Ed, who was too busy shoveling food into his mouth to care that he was under the scrutiny of a strange old man.

[ _But I am also shadows...they curl around me with dark wings and soft whispers._ ]

"You're not a Muggle, are you." It was not posed as a question, but rather as a fact. "You mean that hocus-pocus magic bullshit? I don't believe it, if that's what you mean, old man." Edward swallowed his food.

[ _I am fire and darkness and I thirst for thick, sticky life to dance through._ ]

* * *

(General POV)

Everyone became mute. To begin, none of them had heard such a young person swar so blatantly (sigh...sissy wizards) and never had they heard Dumbledore addressed in such a manner.

It didn't matter if you didn't know who he was. He instinctively commanded attention. So, to see this boy - who should've quailed under Dumbledore's piercing stare - simply ignore his powerful gaze made them all lean in, unconscious of doing so.

"I believe that of you," he sighed.

"Good for you."

"But I believe you are capable of using magic. Extraordinarily capable, in fact."

Ed looked oddly uneasy, but covered it up quickly. "Great. Why do you care?"

"I'd like to invite you to attend Hogwarts."

Several people dropped their tableware. No one had ever transferred into Hogwarts before. And Ed had no idea how to use magic; he'd have to catch up on four years of strenuous studying. It would have been impossible even for Hermione in such a short time.

Dumbledore smiled and clapped his hands, as if everything was settled (Edward was too stunned to object). "Very well then, Edward Elric. I'll take you to buy your school things at Diagon Alley tomorrow." And the he was gone, with another loud _CRACK!_

A lot of things had changed in a very short amount of time. Suddenly, Dumbledore himself was involved with the mysterious Edward Elric. Who was a wizard. A wizard with no magical experience - no - who didn't even believe in magic. It was going to get interesting.

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 **Thanks for reading my first chapter!**

 **I'm hoping to update at least once a week. I hope you'll enjoy it as it progresses!**


	2. 2

**Hey! Hi! Thanks for continuing this far! My first chapters will be (hopefully) pretty frequent. Here goes nothing!**

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Chapter 2

(Ed POV)

[ _I want…_ ]

Ed reached up, up towards his mother's feathery touch and towards the smile that was so warm it rivaled the sun. And then she bent and distorted into a heap of sticky black horror, her soulless black eye sockets staring in disbelief at 'her little man'. "E- Edward...my little boy...why.." Her face contorted. "WHY, EDWARD? WHY COULDN'T YOU SAVE ME?!"

He woke up panting and coughing. His stumps were screaming, but he struggled to his feet and ran into the bathroom. After fumbling the lock closed, he stripped off his gloves and leaned heavily on the chipped sink, staring into his reflection.

[ _My finger are hungry hungry HUNGRY wake me up!_ ]

He looked away, not wanting to see his nightmares laughing back at him through his own eyes. Taking a few long, shaky breaths, he put his gloves back on and ran his fingers through his hair. Ed closed his eyes, then opened them slowly and walked slowly back to his mattress.

[ _Am I awake?_ ]

Somehow, Ed managed to find his way back into the empty void of sleep.

"Wake up! Wake up, Ed!" A blur of orange bobbed in front of his dreary eyes. He groaned and blinked, the colorful blot refining into the face of the one Ed thought was called Ron. "It's too fucking early to be awake, Weasley." He rolled over, snuggling into the warmth of his blankets.

Ed was exposed to a harsh reality, however, when the blankets were pulled off. Now he was pissed. "What did I just tell you, dammit?!" He yelled, golden eyes burning with a tired fury.

[ _I could kill him. I could use this body's metal fingers to rip through his throat! I could kill kill kill kill KILL him the bastard!_ ]

Pale with fright, Ron backed away. "Bloody hell, you really aren't a morning person!" Ed growled. It was too late to go back to sleep now, so he got up, stretching. "Have it your way, Weasley. I'm up." He began to perform some push-ups, then stretched against the wall. Ron watched him with bemusement.

"What're you doing?" The redhead inquired.

"Keeping in shape, Weasley. Just 'cause it turns out that you people think I can do this 'magic' bullshit doesn't mean I can just become complacent." Ed explained, rather exasperated.

Ron shook his head at the blonde and left the room. Ed remembered that there had been another in this room - what was his name? - Harry! It was Harry….Potter? Yes, Potter. He finished exercising and left the room.

He was sitting in the library, surrounded by stacks of dusty tomes when the bushy-haired one burst in. "Professor Dumbledore is here to take you to Diagon Alley….did you read all these?" Ed shrugged. "Most of them."

"But - this is only your second day - how?"

"I'm a fast reader. You said something about the old man?"

"Oh!" She said, having been distracted from her previous purpose by the books, "Yes, he's downstairs….in the kitchen. You should get going…" Ed could tell by her expression that she was still quite stunned, and grinned. "See ya later," he called over his shoulder as he left the room.

[ _That hair...I want to rip it out and listen to her screams cut through the blood-misted air like a knife of pure pain. I want to wake up...someone wake me up!_ ]

The old man from last night was whistling an odd tune when Ed entered the dining room. "Hello," he said upon seeing Ed enter, "Are you ready to go? I have your supply list right here." The man flourished a piece of paper.

Ed still wasn't convinced by the whole 'magic' thing, so when Dumbledore offered his arm to the doubtful blonde and said something about 'Apparating' (Ed guessed it was teleportation), he was hesitant. Shortly after he gripped the old man's arm, he felt as though he was being sucked up by a straw. Luckily, the feeling didn't last too long, and they soon emerged in the middle of a bustling street.

Dazed, Ed shook his head vigorously and looked around. Everyone was wearing stupid-looking clothes, he noted. "Is this Diagon Alley? He asked the tall, elderly wizard, who answered his question with a small, amused smile. "Why, yes it is, Edward. Come this way, we should purchase a wand now."

Dumbledore turned and began making his way through the crowd. Edward, not wanting to get lost, followed him. It was very irritating to be unable to see above the heads of the crowd. He successfully caught up to the old man, who had stopped in front of a weathered-looking shop. Ed read the fancy, faded letters on a sign above the door: Ollivander's.

The inside of the shop was murky, to say the least, and dust swirled thickly in the meager light that made it through the grimy windows. Ed sneezed. "Who might this be?" An old man with bulging blue eyes had come from somewhere within the gloomy recesses of the shop and was now inspecting Edward, glancing inquiringly at Dumbledore.

"This is Hogwarts' new student. Edward Elric. He's here to get his wand." Ed scoffed internally. No duh! They were in a shop filled with wands, so it was pretty obvious what their purpose was.

[ _There are so many bodies outside…._ ]

"What the hell are you doing?" Ed exclaimed as the old man waved his wand and several rolls of measuring tape flew into the air and began stretching themselves out along Edward's various widths and lengths.

Within a few moments, though, they soared back to wherever they'd been originally, and the old man retreated into the depths of his shop, muttering. Ed huffed. He thought all this was utter bullshit. All he wanted was to get home, to Al, and here he was buying a. Fucking. Magic. Stick.

It wasn't funny anymore. He hadn't even agreed to this. "Old man," he said, turning to Dumbledore, "Why the hell should I even go to this magic school of yours?" Dumbledore chuckled, light blue eyes twinkling.

"You're not of this world, am I correct?"

"How the hell...yes, old man."

"I suspected as much. Edward, I invited you to Hogwarts because it would be mutually beneficial for us. I would like to know more about your world, and you would have access to the largest library the wizarding world has to offer. I believe that you should be able to find some way to get yourself home, using the library."

Edward relaxed, seeing the logic. "Alright, old man, I'll go. Are there any restrictions on this library?"

"Yes, indeed there are, but I can arrange for you to have full access. Do you have any further questions?"

Ed shook his head, and then turned away and crossed his arms.

The old man - his name was Ollivander, right? - returned to the front of the shop, arms loaded with dozens of long, rectangular boxes.

For the next hour, they tried matching Edward with a wand. When asked, he'd lied and told them he was left-handed. It would be too much of a bother if anyone in this world found out about his automail; it had become apparent after meeting Moody that they didn't have such advanced prosthetics.

[ _He doesn't know I'm in here. I want to tear something open._ ]

It felt like he'd been stuck in the sneeze-inducing shop (Ed had no idea how Ollivander could spend his life in here) for hours when he'd picked up a wand ("Eleven-and-a-half inches long, slightly bendy ash, with - how unusual - the core is a hair from the valkyrie Göndul, and a sliver of bone from a dullahan. How strange. Hardly anyone matches with a mixed wand.") and silver curls had shot out of the end.

[ _I have always been here..._ ]

The rest of their trip had passed without event. It had been hard to leave the bookstore, but when he did leave he left with armfuls of books. His robe-fitting had been the hardest part, since he'd refused to take off anything but his crimson jacket. But what Ed was happy about was his new cat.

Sure, it would have been more practical to buy an owl, but the golden-eyed, long-furred cat had reminded him of Al. Not in the physical appearance, the cat just had an Al-like air to it. Dumbledore Apparated them back into the house that had become Ed's place of refuge, and left soon after.

Ed was sitting unnoticed in a corner, petting the yet-to-be-named cat when Harry burst in, announcing that he'd been cleared of all charges.

[ _Let me out let me go let me kill and dye my hands red out out let me wake let me out!_ ]

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 **Thanks for reading yet another chapter! I hope it was okay!**

 **If there are any edits you think I should make please let me know (you can do that, right? I don't know, I'm new to this site.)**

 **Alright, that's all I can think of. Peace out!**


	3. 3

**Hello! I'm back, and so soon! I know, right? Crazy! Anyhow, I'd like to say that a lot of the dialogue in this chapter is straight from the book, and the plot generally follows the train ride's plot. Sorry. There also isn't a lot of Ed in this, so, again, I'm sorry. I'll make sure that he plays a more central part, and from this point on things are going to get WAY more interesting. So, for now, just deal with this filler chapter and I will try to update soon!**

 **Oh! And I forgot to add last chapter:**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own FMA or HP! (Although I'm sure you know that.)**

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Chapter 3

(Harry POV)

Harry, Ed, Luna, Neville and Ginny were sharing a carriage on the Hogwarts Express. Ron and Hermione, having been made prefects, were patrolling the train. Harry had been slightly jealous until he came to his senses and realized that his friends deserved it.

His thoughts traveled back farther, to his trial. He'd come home victorious. Ron had pumped his fists in the air, exclaiming "I knew it! You always get away with stuff!" Hermione had looked pale, and was muttering something in relief. Mrs Weasley was crying with joy and the twins and Ginny were chanting, "He got off, he got off, he got off, he got off…" That is, until Mr Weasley had silenced them so he could tell Sirius about what they'd seen Lucius doing at the Ministry.

Then the balding wizard had left because a new problem came up in his department. Harry had lunch, and life at Grimmauld Place had returned to 'normal'. Ed, who'd spent half the day at Diagon Alley with Dumbledore (that had made Harry rather envious), disappeared (presumably to the house's library) and only showed up once in a while for meals.

They'd mostly ignored him, but something about him still felt off and Harry decided that the school year would be a good opportunity to get answers. Harry was jolted from his thoughts when Neville showed off the ' _mimbulus mimbletonia_ ' that he'd gotten for his birthday.

After listening to Neville ramble about the stunted plant, Harry asked, "Does it - er - does it do anything?"

Neville, practically glowing with pride, replied, ""Loads of stuff! It's got an amazing defense mechanism - hold Trevor for me…" He handed the frog (toad, whatever. It's not like Harry cared.) to Harry and poked the plant with a quill.

Everyone was suddenly coated in a viscous, unbelievably smelly, liquid. Harry and Neville received the worst of it; Ginny had shielded herself with arms and Luna and Edward both had books, although Edward was now glaring at them, pointing with one gloved finger at the ruined cover of the book.

Neville apologized profusely. Harry, in the middle of getting some of the stuff out of his mouth, looked up when a voice from the door said, "Oh...hello, Harry. Um...bad time?"

Harry could've died. It was Cho. Ravenclaw, Quidditch seeker, potential love interest.

Harry blacked out the rest of their short, awkward exchange. He never wanted to relive that moment, ever.

Edward whistled. His book was clean (probably magic) and he looked a lot calmer than before. "Harry's got a _lady_ friend." He raised his eyebrows and smirked.

Harry blushed. "It's not...whatever!"

"Sure...I'll believe that."

"Hey!"

Ginny distracted them by saying, " _Scourgify!_ " and cleaning the rest of them off.

An hour passed in relative silence, until Ron and Hermione came through the glass door. Ron looked puzzled by Luna's presence, but shrugged it off. He told the other boys (minus Ed; he was absorbed in his book again) about their prefect duties and then how he hoped to catch Crabbe and Goyle getting up to something.

Hermione berated him. "You're not supposed to abuse your position, Ron!"

"Yeah, right, because Malfoy won't abuse it at all." He retorted sarcastically.

"So you're going to descend to his level?"

"No, I'm going to make sure I get his mates before he gets mine."

"For heaven's sake, Ron -"

Ron cut her off. "I'll make Goyle do lines, it'll kill him, he hates writing." Imitating Goyle now, "I...must...not...look...like...a...baboon's...backside…"

Luna's reaction exceeded everyone else's, and she ended up on the floor, gasping and repeating the last few words of Ron's joke.

Ed's voice carried over her hysterics. "Can you shut the hell up? I'm trying to read here!"

Harry ignored him and asked Luna if he could look at _The Quibbler_ that she'd dropped on the floor. It was pointless. When Ron asked him if it was good, Hermione butted in.

"Of course not. _The Quibbler_ 's rubbish, everyone knows that."

"Excuse me, my father's the editor." Luna's voice was like ice.

Hermione became quite flustered, and Luna snatched her magazine back.

The door opened again. It was Malfoy. Harry groaned. "What?"

"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention. You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

Harry growled. "Yeah, but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone." Mental high five, Harry thought to himself.

Those not otherwise occupied laughed.

"Watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be _dogging_ your footsteps."

A book snapped shut. "Get out, bastard." Ed's fist, meet Draco's face. Ed then returned to reading tranquilly as though nothing had happened. Draco, glaring balefully, held his hand to his purpling face and strutted away.

Harry worried about the stress Malfoy had put on 'dogging'. Did he know about Sirius? At a glance, he could see that Hermione was just as nervous. Sirius never should have accompanied them to the station earlier.

Maybe it was simply coincidence. Harry had felt paranoid all summer, why should now be any different?

Time passed without incident. Soon after it became dark, they spotted Hogwarts' lights glimmering through the rain-streaked windows and they changed into their robes. Edward did so with no small amount of complaining; he seemed to dislike the uniform with a ferocity.

Ron and Hermione fixed their prefect's badges to their robes proudly and then left to help supervise the unloading of the train. When they'd all gotten their things from the luggage rack, they left and began to make their way to where the horseless carriages were waiting.

They hadn't heard or seen Hagrid. Instead Professor Grubbly-Plank was guiding the first-years to the banks. Harry began to feel anxious.

Harry was first to find where the carriages were - but they weren't horseless. Skeletal, black, vaguely horse-like things were tethered to the front of the carriages. Ron and Hermione rejoined the group. Hermione and Ron told Harry about Malfoy's abuse of power after Harry told them about Hagrid's absence.

The fifth-years claimed the nearest unoccupied carriage. Harry paused to ask Ron, "What are those things, d'you reckon?" He nodded at the horribly nightmarish horses.

"What things?"

Ed, who'd been silent for so long, they had forgotten he was still with them, said, "The horses. Can't you-." Luna interrupted them to return Ron's owl to him. She'd volunteered to carry it off the train.

Harry was unnerved. Why couldn't his best friend see the horses. Ed could! "What were you saying, Harry?" The redhead turned back to Harry, having loaded his luggage in.

"I was saying, what are those horse-like creatures?"

"What horse-like creatures?"

"The ones attached to the carriages!"

Ron was nonplussed now. Completely baffled. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about - just, look!" Harry turned Ron so that he was face-to-face with one of the things.

"Harry, I don't think he can see them," Ed drawled from his leaning position against the carriage. Ron shot the both of them a worried look, then clambered into the carriage, followed by Ed.

"It's all right," Luna said suddenly from beside Harry, where he hadn't noticed her. "You're not going mad or anything. I can see them, too, and so can Ed."

Harry wasn't reassured by the support of the not-all-there girl and the person who'd appeared mysteriously and had no idea what England was.

He gave up and joined his friends.

* * *

 **I hope you more or less enjoyed this chapter, even without much Ed!**


	4. 4

**Thanks for coming back for another chapter!**

 **I'd like to give credit to The Mirror Above the Sink for the cat's name.**

 **I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own HP or FMA.**

* * *

Chapter 4

(Ed POV)

[ _I have been here forever. I am the darkness that grows within Edward Elric with each_ _passing day,_

 _and I am opening my blood-crazed eyes and my influence burns through his veins. He will feel me soon and_

 _satisfy my need for bloodgoreredyesyesYES_ ]

Wizards are crazy, Ed's first thought was. It was followed by: The bastards have so many damn candles in the air...and what the hell is up those? Please, give me patience, Al.

He was sitting with the people from Grimmauld Place, at the table with all the red and gold. There were three more tables, each with their own colors….silver and green, blue and bronze, yellow and black. They had names...but Ed couldn't remember. Oh well. He didn't care. He was just here for the library.

The ceiling, or at least what you could see of it through the candles, mirrored the sky. That made Ed uneasy. His automail had been pretty well protected by the robes, but the ceiling made him feel as though rain would come down in a drenching torrent and his robes would be completely useless.

He shuddered infinitesimally and turned his attention to the front of the room, where a crowd of eleven-year-olds (thankfully shorter than him) were being called forward to a stool with a hat on it.

When placed on the child's head, the tattered hat would open what served for its mouth - a long horizontal tear just above the brim - and shout a word that obviously indicated which table the child would join. The hat seemed to have a personality - was a soul bound to it? What a terrible thing to do to someone's soul! He'd thought he'd been bad; sealing Al to a suit of armor, but this-!

It suddenly hit him how terribly he missed everyone back in in Amestris. Even Colonel Bastard. That smug bastard. He was thinking about all the people back in Amestris - Al, Winry, Hawkeye, Pinako, Major Armstrong - when Dumbledore's speech was cut short by a short, toad-like woman garbed - no, drowning, it seemed - in pink.

[ _Killkillkillkill let me kill her let me paint a twisted room with blood_ ]

She gave a long, boring speech, her high and breathy voice annoying him to no end. Roughly halfway through the speech he decided he couldn't listen to the woman's bullshit anymore. He held a short, whispered conversation with Hermione (Yes, he learned her name), stood up and walked swiftly but casually out of the Great Hall, boots thudding solidly on the worn floor tiles. The woman - Umbridge, if Ed remembered correctly - stopped speaking. The room was quiet, except for his receding footsteps. Then the large doors slammed shut behind him. He could hear Umbitch - it was a suitable name - trying to resume her speech, although her false voice was slightly screechy with indignation.

He probably shouldn't have done what he had just done, but Ed didn't care. He would deal with the consequences later (it was what he did back in Amestris, anyway. Why change his customs to suit this world's expectations?).

[ _Or kill them all. Don't take the punishment...let me free...let me go free.._ ]

Somehow Ed made it to the Gryffindor Tower. He muttered, "Mimbulus mimbletonia," at the overweight lady in the painting, and after a puzzled silence she swung open. Edward stepped through the doorway and she returned to her original position behind him.

He took the liberty to find his dorm, where the cat he'd bought a few weeks ago was in his carrier, on top of what Ed assumed was his bed.

"Hey there, Verum." He said tiredly as he flopped down on the surprisingly comfortable four-poster bed. Ed had named the cat 'Verum' a few weeks ago, in a kind of ironic twist.

Ed was tired. Tired of his automail, tired of being in this strange, upside-down world. He wanted to use his alchemy...wait. He'd refrained because he had constantly been surrounded by people, but he was alone up here with only the cats, owls, and toad watching. Who would know?

[ _Fall asleep, Edward. Let me wake up, take over. You can have a nice, long rest…_ ]

Smiling truly happily for the first time since he'd somehow landed in this world, Ed clapped his hands together.

[ _..._ ]

* * *

(General POV)

The hall was still rather frenzied from the blonde Gryffindor's defiant departure from the Great Hall. Umbridge was sitting in her seat, still red-faced from the indignity of a student leaving during her Ministry-approved speech. The Golden Trio and the other Weasleys were surprised that Edward had pulled off something so reckless.

He'd done this several times back at Grimmauld Place (although not on such a large scale), though, so they were less shocked than the other students.

None of them had any desire to be in Edward's place when he was reprimanded for so blatantly disrespecting a teacher. Nothing like what Ed had done had happened before, but everyone was sure that there would be severe consequences.

* * *

(Hermione POV)

After she and Ron finished directing the hyper first-years to their dorms, she followed Ron and Harry, who had joined them in the crowded common room, up to the fifth-year boy's room.

Edward was asleep on his bed, Verum curled up on his chest. Hermione didn't quite know why the grey-furred cat was named that. She vaguely remembered that it had something to do with truth…but she figured that wasn't why he'd named the cat that. Why would he?

His relaxation indicated that he wasn't at all concerned about the repercussions of his actions at dinner; and Hermione, drawing on what knowledge she had of Ed's disposition - despite having spent much of the summer together, she really didn't know the blonde too well - knew that her inference was probably correct.

Edward didn't really seem to care much about anything - other than food and books. Hermione scowled. He was so irresponsible!

Ron shook him awake, jumping back as soon as Edward's eyes opened. "Alphonse...it's too…" He stopped himself when he appeared to have become fully awake, radiant eyes wary. "Oh. It's just you. What do you want?"

"Are you serious? That was bloody brave of you, leaving in the middle of Toady's speech." Ron burst out.

Hermione drew her breath in, ready to scold Ron-

"You mean Umbitch? Yeah, I couldn't listen to her drivel anymore."

She couldn't take it. "Even if she is a - a you-know-what, you shouldn't call a teacher that!"

"I haven't been to school since I was eight. Why should I respect a teacher like that?"

They were all very much taken aback by that. Edward sat serenely, rubbing Verum's stomach.

"You mean to say," Hermione did some speedy calculations in her head, "That you haven't been to school in seven years?!"

Edward nodded absently in response, and then turned to her quizzically. "What are you doing here? This is the boy's dorm."

Hermione explained (not well). "Teachers trust girls more than guys - don't even think about getting into the girl's dorm!" She still didn't trust or understand the blonde, and didn't want to take any chances.

"Pshh!" Edward responded, slightly confused by her loosely connected reply, "I'm not interested in girls...well…" His expression turned distant.

"Well, what?" Hermione, at this point, was eager to get her hands on anything new about the enigmatic boy.

"Nothing. Never mind."

Hermione huffed, frustrated that she could never get anything out of Edward. The information about his educational experience was new, though. She turned on her heel and left, sensing that any attempts to further their conversation would be rebuked.

* * *

(General POV)

Harry and Ron had watched the entire exchange in mystified silence. The concept of not having gone to school for seven years was completely alien to them. After Hermione left, they hoped to drag Edward into yet another conversation (those nosy brats never knew when to stop), but there never was an opportunity. Edward had drawn the curtains of his four-poster closed and soon after the two friends heard snoring.

They looked at each other and grinned ruefully. Ed had a talent for falling asleep quickly. The two left him alone, not waking him up to get changed. They figured he could use a good night's sleep; he would need it at breakfast the next morning.

What neither of them knew, however, was that Ed would never have a good night's sleep. His past made sure of that.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Please review: tell me what you think of my chapter, and if you have any suggestions it would be much appreciated!**


	5. 5

**I'm back! With a new chapter, too! I tried to make it longer. Have fun!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own HP or FMA.**

* * *

Chapter 5

(Ed POV)  
[ _Soon...I wake soon...I shall bathe in glorious, sangria red…_ ]

Ed woke up in hysterics. Quiet hysterics. He'd taught himself over the past five years to hide his nightmares. Worrying Al wasn't worth the sweet release of screaming.

He pushed aside his thick bloodred bed-curtains to see the thin light streaming through the gauzy curtains of the Gryffindor fifth-year boy's dorm's windows. There were no twisted shapes or grasping hands hidden in the weak shadows. His breathing evened.

[ _You don't need to see them, you have me inside….let me go and you won't dream…_ ]

Ed thought briefly about getting out of bed, but he looked down at the weight on his leg (he couldn't feel one of them). Verum, the Al-reminiscent kitten, was curled up on his shins.

He couldn't help but smile fondly. Al had always wanted a cat (in fact, he was notorious for hiding them in his armour) and every time he saw the little feline Ed was reminded of his younger brother...he hoped he was okay.

 _Truth grinned. "You would give up your alchemy? Touching, Alchemist, but I have an idea. You-" The reverse shadow pointed at Ed, "-will receive your exchange. However! You don't get to know what's in it for you!_ _What's that kind of risk worth to you? Not only will your dear brother return to his body, Izumi Curtis and Roy Mustang will regain their tolls. What will it be? Not that there's much of a choice, Alchemist."_

Ed shook himself out of his memories and looked out the window. The sun was rising, painting the starry sky pale with violent rose-reds and timid lilacs. It was late enough in the sunrise that the tips of the Forbidden Forest were gleaming gold, as though they'd been dipped in a pool of said metal.

While on the subject of metal, Ed realized he'd better get changed, like he'd been doing the past two months; he wasn't comfortable with the queer stares he got in Amestris, so the effect would be multiplied in this automail-lacking world. He didn't want his dorm-mates to see it – his automail.

He eyed the robes reluctantly, then decided to wear them. Truth is, he'd given in about a month ago. The last thing he needed right now was to get in a fight - although he wanted to - because he had to spend as much time as he could in the school's library. The blonde had been spending as much time as he could in the library and still hadn't made much progress.

He had to get home.

[ _You won't be afraid...just give in and smell - no! - taste their sweet, sweet, savoury BLOOD as it gushes messily from their white-and-red bodies...let me sing you a song of depravity!_ ]

Ed felt something - a dark and primal presence - but passed it off as a remnant of his dreams. It could only be that, because there would be nothing as dangerous as that presence felt in this castle full of teens, right?

He walked out of the dormitory, wandering wherever his feet would take him.

Still, somewhere in the back of his mind, he couldn't lose the feeling. The unmistakable, instinctive feeling that something very, very wrong was lurking nearby.  
He received quite the number of odd stares from ghosts as he passed; not only because of the scene he'd caused last night but because he was, quite possibly, the only living human awake in the entire castle.

[ _You could kill them all…_ ]

Ed winced, but only slightly. He felt the beginnings of a headache; he needed a drink. Ed was on the seventh floor, and the kitchens must be on one of the lower levels. He turned around, vaguely remembering that he'd come from that direction. However, as he approached an intersection of hallways, Ed was filled with doubt. Was this really the right way to go?

He turned around again. He really needed a map of this place. The blonde shook his head. As he passed through the same hallway again, he heard a loud scraping noise and wheeled around to face the wall. A large door had formed.

"The hell?" His head began throbbing uncomfortably,

[ _My leg...my leg is...it's leavingmehahahaha….give me a knife….look at me I'm waking from my reality…._ ]

but he pushed the doors open out of curiosity and with a sigh of relief he was in a small, sunlit room (he paused for a moment to wonder about that, but was distracted by what he saw next) where a table stood, a tall glass dead-centre.

Ed collapsed gratefully

[ _I want to thrust my hands into them.._ ]

into a chair, letting out a pleased groan as his weight settled into the soft, cool plush of the chair. He had no idea what this room was doing here - honestly, at this point he didn't care, his head was hurting.

[ _Fingers through cracks and eyes in holes…._ ]

Ed lifted the glass of water to his mouth, and to his happy surprise it was cool and somehow minty.

[ _Stopstopstop stop it STOP IT there is light lightlight dark stop…._ ]

Ed finished of the last of the soothing drink with a satisfied sigh. "Ahhh...Al, nothing hits the spot like a-" He stopped midsentence, looking confusedly around the room before he remembered.

"Dammit, I'm stuck here! I am stuck in this fucking place...I need to get home…"

Ed pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to reorganize his brain. Everything was tangled and sticky, and trying to think straight was just leading him in crooked circles.

[ _Tongues and...what was it?_ ]

Ed snapped his eyes wide open. He'd forgotten the library! How had he done that? He rushed out of the room and raced down the corridors, his brain clearing suddenly. Taking stairs four at a time (he would've liked to do six at a time but there was no easy way to explain his leg and he had no mechanic) he skidded through the labyrinthian hallways of the castle until he inexplicably found himself in the dimly lit library. It was funny; he'd been here for two months already and still got lost easily.

The blonde nodded tersely at the frowning librarian and made his way deep into the bookshelves. He let out a long breath and ran both hands through his hair, undoing his braid and then deftly rebraiding his thick hair.

"Alchemy...alchemy…" The alchemist muttered as he ran his finger along the spines of the books. Occasionally he would pause, tap his finger on a book, and pull it out with a pleased expression on his face. He hadn't looked through this part of the library yet; he'd found lots of material in other places but he'd already gleaned all that he could from those books.

There were eventually enough books in Ed's arms that he chose to find a secluded corner and began to read through them all. As the time passed, he would, every so often, exclaim exasperatedly, and throw the book aside.

Ed was saying angrily, "This is bullshit! Alchemy, my ass!" when he saw Hermione's unmistakable mane of hair out of the corner of his eye. Looking up, he sighed, "What're you doing here?"

She had been standing in the entrance to his nook with an irritated expression. "Edward! Classes are about to begin! We'll be late! How long have you been reading, anyway?"

Ed scratched his head. "I dunno. Few hours, maybe?"

Hermione gaped at him, classes forgotten. "Unbelievable."  
"I guess. What were you saying about classes?"

"They're about to start," Hermione told him, then glanced at her watch, "No, they've already started! Come on, Ed! You're coming with me because it's your fault that I'm late!" She stormed up to Ed and began dragging him along. Ed thought that it was lucky that he had the same schedule as the overbearing brunette; she could be trusted to get him to his classes, albeit very annoyingly. She had already performed this process of find, scold, and drag to class several times.

"You know," Ed commented calmly as Hermione pulled him through the halls, "You're pretty strong for someone who has little physical fitness." Hermione exclaimed wordlessly then snapped, "You're such a jerk!"

"What? It's not an insult; I'm just being honest!"

"Whatever! We've got to get to class!"

Hermione barged into History of Magic. "Sorry I'm late, Professor Binns. I was in the library looking for Edward." Professor Binns spared her a glance and paused his speech. "Sit down, Ms Granger, Mr Elric. Five points from Gryffindor." He said in a monotone. All the other Gryffindors groaned. Hermione had the grace to look ashamed, but Ed shrugged and sat down.

The ghostly professor continued his droning lecture. Edward, finally feeling the fatigue of waking as early as he did, leaned back in his chair and fell asleep.

" _Brother!" Alphonse called, the ropy black arms pulling him apart until there was nothing left. "Al!" Ed called, desperation straining his voice. The arms reached for his own leg and broke it apart. The elder Elric collapsed on the transmutation circle, crying hopelessly._

 _Something changed._

 _Ed found himself in front of a tall stygian door. "Huh?" He felt as though he was forgetting something important._

" _Hey."_

 _He turned around to see a humanoid shape surrounded by shadows, the only way Ed could actually be sure that they were there._

" _Who are you?"_

" _I'm glad you asked that! I am what you call the world. Or perhaps the Universe, or perhaps God, or perhaps truth, or perhaps all, or perhaps one, and I am also…" Truth pointed at Ed, "you."_

 _Ed felt confused. A scraping behind him sounded ominous._

" _Welcome, you stupid fool, who doesn't know his own place."_

 _The young blonde turned around to see a large grey eye in the tenebrosity behind the open doors. The same arms from before reached out and grabbed him. He was pulled, screaming with terror, into the door._

" _Pipe down. This is what you wanted, isn't it?"_

 _Ed tried to claw his way out of the closing doors, golden eyes wide with horror._

" _I will show you the truth!"_

 _The doors slammed shut._

 _And then Edward Elric was spiraling through darkness, knowledge flashing around him and being pushed into his mind. The torturous absorption of information seemed to take years._

" _Stop it! My head is going to split open!" He cried in desperation, several times._

 _His left leg began to strip away painfully._

" _I'm being broken down! Help! Stop it! Stop! Stop!" Understanding dawned on him, through his panic-riddled mind. He had seen Truth, and was paying the price. Equivalent exchange._

 _Everything brightened, and he saw his mother's silhouette before him. "Mo - mom!" He cried, reaching for her outstretched hand._

 _He was in front of the door again; he could feel its presence behind him._

" _How was it?" Truth asked. Ed turned and looked at the door again._

" _Yeah...my theory of human transmutation was not wrong! But it's missing something! What I seek was just ahead! The truth about human transmutation! Please, show me again!"_

" _I can't." Truth stood up. "I can only show you this much for the toll you've paid."_

" _Toll?" Ed blinked, confused._

" _Yes, toll."_

 _Ed's leg broke away and he cried out, eyes wide with pain and shock._

" _It's equivalent exchange, right? Alchemist?"_

 _Ed found himself lying on the floor of his father's study, blood puddling by the stump of his left leg._

" _Al?" He asked, looking around, voice trembling, "Alphonse? Brother! Damn it! Damn it all! Brother!"_

 _Trembling, he dipped his fingers in the blood puddling by his left leg and drew a scarlet circle on the inside of the armor's neck. As he added to the circle with shaky movements, he begged, "Take my leg! Take my arm! Take my heart! Just give me back my brother, he's all I have left!"_

 _Black ribbon-like hands snaked around his right arm, all the way up to his shoulder. They touched his arm with their tiny stubby fingers and his arm broke apart, right up to the shoulder._

"Ed? Ed, wake up!" Eyes snapping open wide, Ed sat up. He hadn't realized he had lashed out with his fist until he heard someone groaning. The blonde looked down, where Ron had pushed himself up to a sitting position and was clutching his nose.

"Bloody hell, Ed! What was that for?" Ed looked blankly at Ron, and then his outstretched fist. Realization dawned on him and he chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry…that just kind of happens…you okay?" He asked absently.

Hermione, who had been hovering uncertainly nearby, rushed forward, now that she was sure Ed wouldn't punch her too, and tapped her wand on Ron's nose. The redhead took his hand away from his nose, slightly surprised and pleased. "Thanks, 'Mione!"

Ed stood and walked out of the room. "Ed, wait!" Hermione called from next to Ron and Harry. "We have potions next!"

Ed turned around. He hadn't been thinking about classes in the slightest; he was still disturbed by his memories.

[ _Tearteartear bathe in blood hahahaha snap their necks break their bones burning eyes hahahahaha!]_

"Agh!" Ed put a hand to his head. "Ed? Are you okay?" Harry and his friends were over by his side in an instant. "Yeah," the blonde replied, "It's just a headache."

He put his hand back in his pocket and tried a strained smile. "So, I don't know the way to Potions." Hermione smiled back brightly. "We'd better hurry! I'm just glad that you were willing to ask for your help. We _are_ your friends after all, Ed. You can always ask us for help."

She shot him a concerned glance, then turned and began leading the way to Potions.

Ed's headache gradually worsened during Potions.

[ _Hemorrhaging from the eyes hahahaha drink me like wine and I will burn BURN you I am fire and I am killer monster breaker yes!_ ]

Ed doubled over in front of his cauldron, clutching his head. Snape swept over to him. He didn't dislike the blonde Gryffindor, but he didn't like him either. But that was besides the point. The boy was obviously in pain.

[ _Hands hands in the dark fingers in eyes mouths in stomachs steel skin hahahaha!_ ]

Ed, still gripping his head like it might fall from his shoulders, began to chuckle madly. His eyes, wide and unnervingly bright, began to twitch erratically.  
[ _Awake awake I'm waking in the nightmare world…_ ]

"Aw….awake….I…waking…night…mare…world…" Ed choked out through a grin that was wide, too wide.

* * *

(Harry POV)  
All occupants of the room stared at him. In the time that they'd taken classes with Edward Elric, he had been a witty, sarcastic, and hot-tempered classmate. Well-liked.

Snape looked around. "Everybody, out! Now!"

Everyone left eagerly, not wanting to witness whatever what was going on with Ed.

The Golden Trio, however, stayed behind, eavesdropping through the door.

"Here…everywhere…no…the door…smell…iron…their blood…let me go…let me…out…let me com…mit…let me kill them…beautifully!" Ed said raspily.  
Harry, Hermione and Ron looked at each other, pale. 'What the bloody hell's goin' on in there?' Ron mouthed.

Harry shook his head and looked through the crack in the door.

Snape was trying to perform Legilimens (Harry knew this from his many Occlumency sessions) and failing. Ed was now shaking wildly and rocking back and forth on his stool.

He turned to look at the door and Harry paled further. His friend's face was split open in a horrific grin, blood staining his teeth. Then Harry, who didn't want to look but was transfixed, saw Ed's eyes.

They were wide and there was blood staining the sclera red and a kind of light in them that made him feel as though something dark and twisted and sticky with gore was standing right next to his friend. Harry couldn't take it anymore and fell back, horrified.

"Edward Elric, you say? You mean the polite, bookish one? Who hates it when he's called small?" Madam Pomfrey's voice rang down the hallway as she approached. The woman rounded the corner, Professor McGonagall close behind, and saw the three of them, huddled small and scared by the door.

"What are you doing there? What's this that Neville told me about Mr. Elric?" Hermione shook her head while Ron simply looked down and Harry looked worriedly at the door. Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall passed by them and rushed in through the door. They heard a startled shriek and then a hurried spell. Moments later the three adults came out, Ed suspended midair, unconscious, blood streaking his face.

Snape paused only to look dangerously at Harry, and then he, Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey were away, taking Ed to the infirmary.

Harry stood up shakily, clutching his disorganized bag. "What...was that?"

Hermione shook her head again and pushed herself off the floor. "I don't know. But I think we should go up to the common room. I don't think we'll have any more classes for today."

"Why?" Ron asked, still looking ill, "I mean, we have other professors."

The brunette shook her head. "No. Harry, you saw what happened in there. And Ed, he was covered in...blood. I'm sure that all the professors are going to have to meet and figure out what happened. This kind of thing doesn't just happen every day here…."

The boys saw the sense in this and together the trio began to walk slowly back to the common room.

Harry couldn't get the image of Ed's nightmare-inducing eyes out of his head.

* * *

 **Thank y'all for reading! Please review with suggestions or comments. Tell me what you thought.**

 **I should update again in a few days. 'See' you then!**


	6. 6

**Hey people! I'm back with another chapter! Thank you, everyone who reviewed!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or FMA.**

* * *

Chapter 6

(Hermione POV)

It had been two weeks since Ed's breakdown in the Potions room. One week since he'd returned from the infirmary. She, nor Harry or Ron, had been allowed to visit him. When he had returned, he was somber and held his hands to his head a lot, like he was in pain.

Hermione was worried about him. She hadn't seen what he had looked like in the Potions room, but Harry had. Ron told her on several occasions that Harry was having nightmares.

Ed had started to regain his usual personality, and Ron had stopped confiding in her about Harry's nightmares. Her worried gradually faded.

Umbridge was another problem entirely. During their first class with her two and a half months ago, Ed had gotten into a shouting match with her and subsequently stopped going to class, saying he'd already read the book and that going to that class was pointless.

Harry, however, had gotten himself detention and after a few nights of what Harry had said was 'writing lines', she, Ron and Ed had noticed that the back of his hand was bleeding.

Ed had also received detention, but he never went.

Her mind wandered back to the proposition she'd made to Harry the previous week: forming a Defense Against the Dark Arts group. Umbridge's method of teaching through theory was ridiculous, and with Voldemort back, the students needed to be prepared.

She had been thinking all this in a squashy armchair, quill poised above a half-completed essay. Hermione shook herself out of her thoughts and continued writing.

As she finished, she looked over to Harry and Ron. The dark-haired wizard was snickering as the lanky redhead described something with wild gestures.

Hermione sighed. Her friends slacked off too much. What was worse, they occasionally made jabs at her for being overly work-minded. Hermione knew this was a flaw, but she couldn't stop herself.

She just worried...about everything. Getting in trouble, not being able to get a job...Hermione was just compelled to worry.

She hated herself for it. Hermione sighed again and rolled up her finished essay.

"Got a lot on your mind?"

The brunette jumped.

Ed was sitting next to her, looking a bit too tired for his own good, but generally his own self.

"How did you know?"

"Trust me, I know what it looks like. What are you thinking about?"

"Professor Umbridge's classes. Remember what I said to Harry about making our own Defense Against the Dark Arts group?"

"What about it?"

"I really do think we should form one. We need to know how to protect ourselves now that Umbridge is teaching in theory only. That - that toad lady infuriates me!"

"Yeah, Umbitch is a pain in the ass! Why hasn't Harry agreed?" Hermione would have rebuked him for his language but too much was on her mind.

"He's afraid he's going to be inadequate. Honestly, I think he's more than qualified. I worry about him sometimes, you know. Harry's been through a lot. He really has it tough."

Ed nodded slowly, but Hermione wasn't sure if it was in agreement. She thought he might say something more, but he turned and stared into the fire, evidently deep in thought.

Hermione watched the rich light wash over his features. For all the time they'd spent talking, she still didn't know much about the blonde. His proficiency in magic, if his parents were magical, where he was from. Hermione remembered the day about four months ago when Ed had suddenly showed up in her life. She hadn't trusted him, not until she found him in the house's library, engrossed in _Hogwarts: A History_.

She gradually sunk into thought, and gave a start when Ed stood up abruptly and ran out of the common room, knocking over a first-year.

"What's with him?" Harry and Ron were standing near her chair.

"I don't know." The brunette said pensively.

The boys sat down in chairs on either side of Hermione.

"'E hasn't been the same since that day…" said Ron worriedly.

"I'm really worried about him, too, but I think the best that we can do for him is let him be. He seems like he doesn't want anyone fussing over him." Hermione replied.

"Yeah, well," Ron said, "Remember what Snape's like? He was trying to use Legilimency - Harry said so - on Ed, but it didn't work, and now 'e's all shaken up and jumpy. I wonder what that's all about."

The three lapsed into a silence that ended when Hermione sprang out of her chair to scold Fred and George for using first-years as test subjects.

* * *

(Ed POV)

Ed stared down at his book. _Harry's been through a lot. He really has it tough._ Bullshit. He'd heard about Harry's pansy adventures. The self-pitying teen had nothing on him. Other than that and being stupidly hot-headed, Ed kind of liked the kid.

The blonde smirked at the momentary distraction, but then his face turned solemn.

He was still troubled by the events of two weeks ago.

[ _Killkillkilllkill split their skin with your teeth_ ]

"Fuck," whispered Ed as he clutched his head. "Al, I got myself into some deep shit, huh? I need to get home, but it's so hard to focus with what's inside my head."

He pushed his way through the pain burning through his head and determinedly read.

It was finally worth it. Two and a half months of sleep-deprivation, skipping meals, and constant reading, and he had found half the way home. "Look, Al, we're going to see each other again! I'm so close! If I can just find the rest of the way home before-"

[ _Bite their fingers off yesyes and eat them yesyes and cut throats in a frenzy of happiness no one's getting you home Ed just kill them all_ ]

Ed ignored the laughing voice in his head and pushed ahead. He had to get home.

[ _Nina...that was her name...it was you who killed her...I helped, of course...but remember the blood…_ ]

He froze. "That's not true….it was Scar!" Ed muttered, shaking his head.

[ _You really think everyone back in Amestris would actually want you back? How deluded you are, Ed...you can't tell me you don't remember...you killed your mother and Nina and Maes and Al...how are you sure that it wasn't you?_ ]

"No," Ed breathed. "No, no I'm sure it wasn't Mom...and it was Scar...and Maes was killed by….Envy….and Al...he's alive!"

[ _Are you sure? You never actually saw Truth return your dear brother…_ ]

"Stop it!" Ed ground out, clutching his head so hard that his metal fingers pierced through the white fabric of his gloves.

"Please, just stop!" A trickle of blood trailed down the side of Ed's face and he found to his surprise that his steel fingertips were coated in blood. Looking around furtively, Ed transmuted the glove back to normal, if a bit more thinned out than usual.

Wiping away the blood, he gathered up his armful of books and left the library, nodding distractedly at Ms Pince, the librarian.

He received several queer glances as he hurried back to his dorm; there was still a bit of blood on his face and he was clutching an enormous stack of dusty tomes.

* * *

(Hermione POV)

Harry had finally agreed to head the Defense Against the Dark Arts group. They'd met in the Hog's Head, and the next morning, a sign had been put up.

All clubs had been disbanded and had to gain Umbridge's permission to reform. Hermione suspected that it was because such a large group of them had gathered in such a suspicious place.

Harry and Ron gave her a lot of grief about it. Hermione regretted her decision to meet in the Hog's Head, not that she was going to admit it.

Ed hadn't said anything. Not that he did say much of anything anymore. It had seemed like he'd recovered from whatever had happened that day in Potions, now five weeks ago, and he didn't look like he was in pain, either.

Still, the blonde looked tired and grey whenever they saw him. He rarely came to class anymore, and most of the time one of his friends brought him food, seeing as he hardly went to meals.

Hermione had been up in the boy's dorm a few times to talk to him, but Ed was always buried in books or, very occasionally, asleep. He didn't bother to braid his hair, but he was always dressed the same. Hermione wondered if he ever changed.

This was very worrying to all who knew him. Hermione felt even more concerned because after her initial distrust, she and Ed had bonded over an enjoyment in books.

His feverish obsession with them now was something entirely different. Hermione didn't like this new side of Ed.

* * *

(Harry POV)

The black-haired wizard watched as Hermione's quill strayed across her parchment, blotting out words here and there.

"Hermione?" He asked from the chair beside her.

"Huh?" She started.

He laughed. "What are you thinking about?"

Hermione frowned. "I'm worried about Ed." Harry stopped smiling.

"Yeah, me too. What d'you reckon we could do?"

"I don't know, Harry. There's obviously _something_ bothering him, but what?"

"Let's find out! Then maybe we can help him!"

Ron flopped down in a chair beside her. "Found a place to meet yet?"

"No, it's nearly impossible. Now that Umbridge has passed that decree, any place with an unauthorized gathering of students is instantly suspicious."

"Oh," said Ron dispiritedly. "Hey, how's Ed?"

Hermione and Harry's already glum expressions turned stormy. "We don't know," Harry muttered, "but-" his face brightened, "- we're going to find out!"

Ron grinned. "Okay. I'm in!"

He whispered an aside to Harry. "Better than studying, anyhow."

Hermione smacked him. Their momentary peace faded away as she began to berate them about their homework. Harry begrudgingly started his homework, mind still on the strange changes in his once-energetic friend.

What could have caused such a drastic change? Harry didn't know, and he was determined to find out.

* * *

 ** _Merci_** **, everyone who read yet another one of my chapters! Please, review and tell me what you think!**


	7. 7

**Disclaimer: Don't own FMA or HP**

 **Here's the next chapter! Sorry it took so long...I was reading fanfictions...hehe.**

 **Anyway, this is a filler chapter! I think. I hope I made it interesting enough!**

* * *

Chapter 7

(Ed POV)

It was infuriating researching with a malevolent voice in his head and few books that contained useful information about alchemy and routes to alternate worlds. It was a miracle that he'd gotten as far as he had. Ed had to get home before he…

His head snapped up just moments before it hit the book he had been reading absently for the past half hour. Ed blinked bleary eyes at the words that danced in front of him. He gave up any further attempts at pursuing answers and shoved the book to the side of his bed, upsetting a precarious stack he had gradually added to. He barely noticed the crash as they fell onto the floor, falling asleep the moment his head touched the downy pillow.

He slept peacefully - well, not peacefully, it was more like he was comatose, wrapped in a thick void of unconsciousness.

It would not last.

"[ _Ed….Ed, wake up!_ ]" A velvety, sinister voice accompanied the cold, feather-soft touch on his chin as something that felt blurry - Ed couldn't explain it...whatever had momentarily touched his chin had felt like the physical embodiment of shadows.

He slowly opened his eyes, eyes flashing with golden light. Ed was in a cimmerian setting, his brilliant irises one of the only semblances of light in the gloom. There was one other. The wide grin of a figure as shadowy as their surroundings.

"[ _Good, you're awake. I was becoming a bit primal, all alone in here. It's horribly frustrating trying to push other people over the brink for my kin, so when I was created here, your memories were a gift from...let's not say heaven….a gift from hell. You've been there, indeed, alchemist!_

" _What is irking, however, is that you have an unnaturally strong grip on your little spider's-web. Pushing you over the edge...it's been a tad difficult but I think I'm getting somewhere. There's no use in trying to stop me,_ ]" the indistinct person added thoughtfully, seeing Ed's preparation to say something defiant and definitely profane, "[ _Once one of my kind has begun pushing you into the wonderful darkness, there is no possibility of your being saved._ ]"

They stopped, waiting for a response from Ed, which he promptly gave.

"Where the hell are we? Who the hell are you? No, what the hell are you?"

He was on his feet now, eyes burning furiously in the dark.

"[ _Well, Hero of the People, this is your mind - part of it. The dark portion, the part that kills and burns your blood and fills your veins with murderous fire. My birthplace. I suppose Truth thought that letting you go to another world was far too kind - especially when you could, with only a bit of a struggle, find a way home to the people you believe accept you. Why are you so blind to the fact that your so-called friends and family would kill you on sight, for all the people you so ruthlessly slaughtered?_ ]"

"Stop it!" Ed shouted. "They don't hate me, dammit - it was the homunculi and Scar! They're - they're my friends, you bastard! I didn't kill them!"

"[ _Oh, please, Ed! You're deluded. It was nice talking to you - introductions are very important to me, you know - I didn't make a good first impression, did I? Have a good day, now. It's time to wake up!_ ]"

"Hold it!" Ed pointed a finger in the general direction of the dark person. "Who are you? You never answered my question!"

Their twisted smile grew even wider. "[ _Me? I am born from the bloodiest parts of you. I am the part that longs to rip - tear - shred - paint a fiery masterpiece with the burning blood of the unnecessarily slaughtered. I am the true you! Now, it's time to say goodbye, alchemist!_ ]"

* * *

(Harry POV)

Harry groaned, fumbling with his glasses as he raised them towards his face. Blinking drowsily, he stared uncomprehendingly at his watch until he realized the time. Sighing, he sat up and slowly lowered his feet to the ground.

The still-tired wizard changed into his uniform and woke the others. Ron was so firmly cocooned in his blankets and so unwilling to re-enter the land of the awake that getting him to wake up took hours - well, it felt like hours to Harry.

When he finally got into the Great Hall, accompanied Ron and Hermione, the latter wide awake, he was surprised to see Ed sitting at the Gryffindor table. His friend's bedcurtains had been drawn and Harry had assumed that the blonde was still curled up on his bed, surrounded by books.

So seeing the recently reclusive Gryffindor wearing the school robes (when had he changed?) and out of the dorms was a bit surprising to everyone.

Hermione pulled Harry and Ron over to the blonde and sat down next to him. "You're back! Will you go to classes today?"

Ed turned to her and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Harry saw that the once-bright golden eyes were dull and had deeply sad look to them. They looked like the eyes of a man who'd given up. Harry had never seen anything like it. His curiosity grew stronger.

Harry was distracted by Ron, who was talking excitedly about a recent Quidditch match played by the Chudley Cannons.

Potions, which was usually extremely miserable, took a sudden turn now that Ed was back in class.

Snape approached the golden-blonde Gryffindor, a nasty look on his face.

"How kind of you to join us, Elric. It's a pleasure to see that you have...deigned my class worthy to participate in."

Stopping by Ed's cauldron, Snape peered into the vaporous contents and Harry watched anxiously.

Ed had been the best in the class at making potions before he had collapsed in the very classroom, but it had been weeks since his last appearance and Harry was sure that his edge had disappeared.

Apparently, that was not the case. Snape sneered with displeasure as he saw that Ed had indeed brewed the sleeping potion expertly.

With a scoff, the hook-nosed man swept back up to the front of the classroom. Harry reckoned the professor would've accused Hermione of helping the blonde, but Hermione was on the other side of the room.

The remainder of the class period was spent in relative silence, except for Ron's swearing as he bungled his sleeping draught.

The end of the class was the real excitement, though. Ed poured his potion into a glass flask and carried it carefully up to the front of the dim room. Then, instead of leaving the classroom, Ed pulled a bright, rectangular shape out of his bag and set the neon thing down on top of the desk.

"This is for your hair, greasy bastard. Your skill in potion-making counts for something, but Truth forbid you ever have kids. Not that you'd want them. Y'know what? I can't understand why you would ever teach children - you sure hate us a bit too obviously for anyone to ever even consider having you in a teaching position. Bastard."

Harry's jaw dropped. Ed had been rude to Snape before, but…

An icy, murderous presence filled the room. Everyone stopped in their tracks, even Draco. Snape was giving Ed a look that even Harry hadn't received before. The pure hatred in his eyes could kill a dragon.

There was a stifling silence as the students stared at the livid professor. Ed was the only one not withering under the terrifying glare the professor was giving - and it was directed right at him!

Harry felt weak. He'd never been the object of such a baleful look, and was glad that he wasn't.

Ed laughed.

Wait. Harry blinked and tried to wrap his mind around it. Ed was _laughing_.

Then the blonde put his hands in his robe pockets and strolled out of the room, a detached look in his aurelian eyes. Again, Harry's interest was piqued again. With that sort of look in his eyes...was this deliberate?

* * *

(Hermione POV)

She had never seen such blatant disrespect of a teacher before!

Still, Ed was getting back to normal. Or something like it.

She looked over to Ed, who was scarfing down food, eyes closed. Hermione sighed. How someone so innocent-looking could hold such a darkness inside - the darkness that had somehow been revealed in Potions, weeks ago - Hermione didn't know.

There was something up with him, and Hermione still hadn't found out anything. There were no leads as to how he'd appeared in front of Grimmauld Place just a few months ago.

Hermione began thinking up ways to get the tawny-haired Gryffindor to reveal his past...there was definitely something suspicious about him.

It wasn't a gut feeling Hermione liked; they shared a love of books and she didn't want to doubt her friend, but there was definitely….why did she feel so suspicious?

Hermione jerked herself back to attention. She'd been on autopilot since lunch and was now at her next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts. With a dread-filled sigh, she slid into her chair.

As her classmates filled the vacant seats around her with already-bored faces, the bushy-haired girl kept her eyes peeled for the leucous Gryffindor she'd been wondering about.

He walked in casually, gloved hands in his pockets. Behind him was Umbridge, fuming and eyeing him with utter loathing.

Hermione wondered what on earth could have happened that would've made Umbridge so angry. Ed slouched in the empty seat beside her and Umbridge stood at the front of the room, hemming furiously.

"Mr Elric, if I may ask," her voice was dangerously sweet, "why you haven't been in class?" She pursed her lips in what she probably thought was a gentle smile.

Ed regarded her absently, one eye closed. "Class? You call this useless charade a class? I'll tell you what, Umbitch, I didn't go to your 'class' because I don't listen to bullshit from a pink toad who can't teach us anything useful!"

Hermione gasped. He had - Ed had - Umbridge was a horrid person, but - Hermione couldn't believe it.

The small, toady woman looked as though she would explode. "Detention, Mr Elric." Her voice lost it's false cheer and she was clenching her stubby fingers into her palms.

The blonde opened his other eye, nodded, and closed both eyes before leaning back.

Hermione noticed that Umbridge's shaking, white hands rarely uncurled during the entirety of the class period.

Ed's detention would be brutal.

There was undoubtedly something happening with the golden-eyed teen. His classes today had been full of confrontations. It was like he was looking for trouble. But why? What reason would he have? There was a sort of finality to his actions.

It couldn't be...was Ed ready to leave?

* * *

 **Review, tell me what you think! Suggestions are always welcome!**

 **So, um, yeah! That's that.**


	8. 8

**Yay! Another chapter! Thanks to everyone who reviewed.**

 **I'm not quite sure what's going on in this chapter, but this leads up to something big!**

 **So, enjoy (I hope)!**

 **I have no idea what to say up here, so...**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own any of the things.**

* * *

Chapter 8

(Harry POV)

It was his last detention with Umbridge.

He'd received another week of detention and was now completing his final detention. The words 'I will not tell lies" were firmly etched into his aching, scarred hand.

Ed was sitting on the other side of the garish, lacy office.

Harry felt sorry for him. The blonde had never experienced detention with Umbridge before - he'd always skipped them. Why he chose to go to this one was beyond Harry.

The black-haired wizard shook his head and turned his attention to the door, through which Umbridge had just returned.

THe toad-like witch had a savage, satisfied look in her eyes, and she smiled wide enough to show off each of her small, pointy teeth as she handed them the quills that Harry knew would carve each sentence they wrote deep into their hands.

Ed looked his over, shrugged, and put the tip of the quill to the parchment.

Harry watched with a morbid eagerness, wondering how the bold Gryffindor would react to having whatever he wrote etched into his skin; Harry was certain that Ed could overpower Umbridge in an argument, and he, like the rest of the student body, (and quite a few of the teachers) was eager to see it happen.

Half a minute later it became clear that something was not right. Ed's quill scratched hopelessly across the parchment, leaving only small indentations.

Umbridge, red with anger, was sure this was some kind of prank. She had Ed try out every single one of her vast collection of quills. None of them worked. She got redder and redder until her face was a bright tomato color.

"You!" She accused shrilly, pointing a finger at Ed. "What have you done? Why don't my quills work?"

The blonde regarded her coldly. "How the hell am I supposed to know what they do in the first place?"

"Let me see your hand!" Umbridge ordered, ignoring his answer.

The air in the room suddenly changed. Ed's amusement disappeared and he was no longer smirking.

"No." He said.

"Ha! I knew it! You've got some sort of charm in that suspicious glove of yours! I imagine Potter here told you all about what was going to happen! Let me see your hand!"

"I said," growled Ed, eyes flashing, "No!"

"Then I'll just have to-" She was cut short when Ed placed his hand across her mouth and leaned in.

In a low voice, he said something that was still ringing through Harry's ears as he hurried into the common room to join his friends and tell them what had happened.

"Keep bitching and I will rip your tongue out, got it? Your toady little nose stays out of my business, or else."

The raw, honest killing intent that had filled the room, sticking to the roof of Harry's mouth as though it was a taste, felt truly and purely terrifying.

The blonde had then smiled cheerfully and left the room. Almost an afterthought, to a stunned Harry and a trembling Umbridge, he said, "You, too, Harry. Stay away. I like you, kind of, I mean, you're a self-pitying brat whose only accomplishment is the repeated delay of a so-called Dark Lord who is barely powerful enough at the moment to even be considered a threat! Oh, so your parents died? Poor you! Oh, you're so special! Fucking idiots, you wizard bastards! How is being an orphan special?! Honestly, Harry, you don't deserve all the attention you get, and don't deny that you don't enjoy it because you sure as hell would take it badly if everyone just decided to stop paying so much attention to you!

"And you, Umbridge! Wear less pink, stop talking to us like we're five, and stop pretending to be nice! Everyone knows you're not, and pretending like you fucking are just makes everyone hate you more! Dammit, you're both just unbearable! I've been through so much more than the two of you combined and you don't see me spouting bullshit!"

And with that, the blonde slammed the door.

* * *

(Hermione POV)

The brunette listened intently as Harry vividly described the happenings of his detention. Her suspicion of Ed deepened as she heard about the blood-using quills not working. His reluctance to remove his gloves was uncharacteristic - even though he had changed, he would still have shown the toady High Inquisitor the charm that had prevented the quill's use, out of pride and spite. That begged another question: how had he known?

The only ones who knew about the Blood Quills were Ron, Harry and herself. Hermione put that in the back of her mind as she focused on the main curiosity; his lecture to Umbridge and Harry.

As Harry went pale, describing Ed's threats to Umbridge and then his speech, more questions were raised about Ed.

One was answered. He wasn't leaving, like Hermione had suspected. Something much deeper, much more complex, was happening to Ed.

He'd definitely changed. But why? Harry was absolutely sure that Ed would have taken Umbridge's tongue out. Hermione felt queasy at the notion. The mischievous, smirking Ed that she'd known didn't seem like the type…

What had Ed meant by saying that he'd been through more than Harry? Hermione thought Harry had been through a lot...although Ed did make a good point, she thought to herself.

Harry wasn't the only orphan in the school, even. But it was impressive that he'd beaten Voldemort several times….it still didn't warrant Harry's constant self-pity and angst. It made Hermione mad sometimes.

She shook herself back to attention.

"I haven't found a thing, neither has Hermione! Ed's a bloody strange bloke…"

"I think we should get out my dad's old cloak. He spends so much time reading….we'll find something by seeing what he's up to. Where is Ed, anyway?"

"Library," said Hermione, already standing up. "Come on, Harry, Ron! Ed's obviously doing something suspicious and we have to find something out!"

Harry grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and the trio headed to the library.

Once invisible, they ghosted through the library until they saw Ed curled up in a hidden corner, surrounded by books and sheets of parchment.

Silently, they crept closer. The blonde was muttering to himself as he scribbled something down on a piece of parchment.

Hermione leaned over slightly and read a nearby sheet. It was a travel log, which made no sense. Ed hadn't been anywhere beyond Hogwarts besides King's Cross, Grimmauld Place, and Diagon Alley. Keeping a travel log was illogical.

She assumed it must be a code. But why? What would Ed be researching that he would have to code his notes? Hermione added it to her mental list of questions about Ed and listened to his murmurings.

"Dammit...I gotta get home to Al...and Winry...I have to...soon...before…"

Ed winced, bowing low over the pages of a thick, old-looking book. "Get out of my head! Damn you, Truth, you bastard!"

He slammed his right fist into the wall….and it cracked. The wall cracked. Ron and Harry's jaws dropped and Hermione hastily stifled a gasp. Ed looked at his hand and sighed, then pulled a scrap of white fabric out of his pocket and laid it across the knuckles of his hand. Hermione saw a glint of silver before it was covered up.

With a clap, a blue lightning danced around his hands briefly before disappearing and leaving Ed with a fixed glove. Another clap and the wall was fixed.

"It's nice that I still have my alchemy…" Ed whispered, staring at the restored wall before flinching again and burying his face in his hands. The trio had to lean in closer to hear his barely audible words.

"I'm so fucked up, Al. I'm - I - I'm in a place I don't understand and I'm going over the edge...keep walking, right, brother? Remember when I said that? After- after Mom? Nina? All those times we nearly died? Dammit, we always walked...I think I'm falling apart, but...I'll keep walking for you, Al. You and Winry."

The blonde lifted his head and smiled wanly. "I'm talking to myself. Truth, if I weren't alone…"

Hermione suddenly got a feeling that he wasn't going to talk anymore, and began pulling the boys away.

Back in the common room, the three huddled in a corner.

"His hand's bloody suspicious! He never takes off those gloves and he just about punched through a bloody wall! And when Umbridge asked him to take them off...!"

Hermione nodded, but then pushed Ron's comment aside. "What's even odder is what he was saying...something about falling apart...and alchemy."

"Alchemy?" Harry asked, looking like he was trying to remember something. "Oh! Like Nicholas Flamel?"

"Yes," Hermione responded, "It's a dead branch of magic. I don't know much about it, but apparently you can turn lead into gold and create a Philosopher's Stone. What's a bigger concern to us is that our friend thinks he's falling apart."

"This is turning into a great bloody mess," Ron yawned. "Y'know, why don't we just ask him about it?"

Harry and Hermione turned to stare at the redhead.

"I can't believe I didn't think of that!" Hermione exclaimed in disbelief.

* * *

(Ed POV)

He trudged into the Gryffindor common room sometime around midnight. Surprised, he saw the Golden Trio (as he had heard them called by most residents of the school) in a cluster of chairs by the intense glow of the still-roaring fire.

"Ed!" They called in rough chorus.

Tired and faintly annoyed, Ed glared at them. "What?"

"Well...we'd like to ask you some questions!"

His mood darkened visibly. "I just want some damn sleep and you want to ask me some questions? I thought I told you," he looked pointedly at Harry who paled, "to keep your noses out of my business."

Despite his threatening aura, Hermione persisted. "Please? We'd really like to know….and you look like you need help, Ed! Please, we're your friends!"

Ed' patience was already spread thin by the scraping hours of fruitless research. Her innocent, yet imperious, expression was his snapping point.

"Friends? Friends?" He said angrily, a dark fire filling his chest, "Friends? Ha! All the friends I will ever have are back home! I'll never see them again! I'm stuck in this fucking place and I'm learning magic...and you're all acting like he's-" Ed pointed a finger at Harry- "- some tragic hero and you damn brats are strutting around and asking questions like you actually have a right to the answers! So, no, I'm not going to stay up any longer to listen to your questions!"

[ _HAhahahahaha I feel so...ALIVE! I'm a fire fed with murder and I'm roaring through you and choking you and giving you so much power, can you feel me, Ed?_ ]

"Damn bastard in my head…" Ed growled.

He released the fury coursing through his veins, his muscles, his bones - released all that powerful rage and upended a table. He'd had enough of these brats and this castle and magic that made everything all better and the babying and sheltering that happened to these children because they were 'too fragile to know these things'!

Ed had had enough.

[ _Yes you have, haven't you, Ed?_ ]

The voice was still in his head. Damn it.

There was still so much anger that wouldn't go away, bursting through his fingers and his ragged breaths! It was a terrible kind of power that was addicting and painful and brilliant and-! Ed knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he shouldn't have reacted that way, shouldn't feel this powerful rage, shouldn't - but he was tired and breaking and didn't care how many things he broke.

[ _Break it all into pieces, cast aside this twisted reality…_ ]

Behind him was a wall full of shallow, cracked circles where he'd slammed his metal fist into the walls.

* * *

(Harry POV)

"That was...Bloody hell..." Ron was pale and at a loss for words. Hermione wasn't much different, from what Harry could tell.

After a few minutes of shocked silence, staring around at the splintered door through which Ed had exited and the table that had been flipped over, sending papers and books and other personal effects flying all over the room, Hermione said in a very small voice, "Let's go to bed."

Harry agreed with a vehemence he didn't quite understand, until he remembered the look in Ed's eyes, the look that made him feel small and quite afraid.

He wanted to hide in his bed. That was a feeling completely foreign to Harry.

Quietly, he and Ron crept up the stairs, noting the radiating cracks in the stone walls.

Harry had a hard time falling asleep, thinking about Ed, who had so completely, utterly changed in the past weeks that he wasn't sure if it was really Ed.

He'd said something back in the common room, Harry remembered. Something about someone in his head. And then in the library...Harry's eyes widened in the dark.

Was Ed going insane?

Before last year, Harry would have guessed that Ed was being possessed by Voldemort, but since the Dark Lord was corporeal again, and Ed didn't seem like the sort who'd associate with Voldemort.

Part of Harry viciously wanted to unravel the enigma that was Edward Elric, rip away the mysterious shadows around the blonde, erase the annoying smudge of unknown...

Alone in the dark, Harry replayed the events involving Ed through his head.

* * *

(General POV)

Ever since the evening of Ed's detention, Umbridge avoided him like he was Death incarnate.

Everyone who had any observation skills whatsoever noticed the way she flinched when she saw him, which was rare, or heard his name, which was far more often.

Ed had, to put it simply, become a god. Or a celebrity. Call him what you will. The mysterious blonde's name was in every conversation. The Gryffindor was famous. Umbridge quailed at the mention of his name. Anyone who could do that deserved attention.

Most inhabitants of the school (ghosts and paintings included) took an unholy joy in saying "Ed" while Umbridge was within earshot. The toad-woman's reaction was a source of vindictive pleasure.

Rumors spread like wildfire. _Something_ had to have happened in detention. The rumors were extravagant and varied; some claimed that he'd broken her desk and windows in a fit of madness, some were closer to the truth and said that he'd threatened to kill or maim her very descriptively, and the more far-fetched ones included Dark Magic, mermaids, and the Whomping Willow. Fred and George, always eager to spread rumors of the more ridiculous sort, declared that there was an unbelievable amount of fireworks and a dragon involved.

Ed wasn't seen often, for days at a time, and his dorm-mates were pestered incessantly. Harry even more so; he'd been there in person when Ed had his detention. The green-eyed wizard remained silent on the matter.

Umbridge, out of fear, most likely, was tightening her grip on the school. She suspected the existence of a secret club (the D. A. had to become even more secretive) and inching a toe out of line could spell detention.

Students even whispered that expulsion would become involved, too.

Fred and George were obviously planning something. Their business was also booming. At least half of every single one of Umbridge's classes claimed sickness, and there was nothing the toady woman could do to them.

There was pressure building in the ancient castle. Something was going to happen very soon.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Please review, and stuff! Yeah!**

 **Also, next chapter, there will a whole lot of putting some pieces of the puzzle together. I'll try to update sometime soon...**


	9. 9

**Alright! New chapter! Yay me! I don't know if this update is too soon or whatever, but here it is.**

 **So, um, yeah, have fun! (I hope, I really don't know)**

 **Oh, and I'd like to thank everyone who favorited, followed, and/or reviewed! It really makes my day to open my email and see that kind of stuff! So, thanks. (Do I say 'so' a lot? Oh well, who cares?)**

 **Disclaimer: Of course I don't own FMA or HP, and it's ridiculous to think so, but here's a disclaimer anyway.**

* * *

Chapter 9

(Hermione POV)

Everything she knew or questioned about Ed had gradually built up into a giant whirlpool of thought and Hermione couldn't make sense of it. It was time to sort everything out. Hermione needed parchment.

Finding a quill, she began to write.

-Appeared mysteriously in front of Grimmauld Place

-Didn't believe in magic

-Wears gloves and long clothes all the time

-Spends all of his time researching

-Skips class (why don't the teachers call him out on that?)

-Winry?

-Al...brother?

-Stuck here?

-Has mentioned something in his head

-Has mentioned breaking

-Threatened Umbridge

-'been through' more than Harry?

-Got very angry when we tried to ask him about these things

\- Blue lightning after he clapped

\- how did he fix the wall?

Hermione put her quill down and stared at the parchment with tired eyes. It was well after midnight, and she had classes the next day, but she couldn't sleep until she sorted it all out. There was just this feeling she had that Ed was involved in something, and she had to know what.

But that could wait. Hermione really was very tired, and she needed sleep.

* * *

(Harry POV)

Harry walked into the Great Hall and saw Hermione, trying not to fall asleep.

"Why are you so tired?" Harry asked.

"I couldn't sleep...well, not until I wrote everything I could think of down." Hermione replied sleepily, and handed him a piece of parchment. In her usual neat handwriting it listed everything the trio had noticed about Ed.

"What's that?" Ron asked from next to Harry, where he'd just come up.

"A list of things about Ed." Harry told him, handing him the parchment.

"What's it for?"

Hermione looked at the redhead with an exasperated expression. He stared blankly back until Hermione sighed and relented.

"I just needed to organize everything so I could understand it better, that's all."

Understanding dawned on Ron's face. "Oh!"

He chuckled sheepishly and sat down and began eating ravenously. "Sho whasht'sh te phlan?"

"Swallow before you speak, Ron! Honestly!" Hermione rebuked him.

Gulping down a large mouthful of muffin, Ron tried again. "So what's the plan?"

"Well, I've been thinking about that." Hermione began, "and I think first we need him to take off those white gloves of his. But after what happened last time, we can't just ask him...I was thinking…." She looked down ashamedly.

"What?" Harry asked.

"That we could drug him, like in second year with Crabbe and Goyle…"

"Sounds bloody good!" Ron exclaimed.

"Wait! Or, we could just catch him sleeping!" Hermione rushed, blushing slightly.

"Oh...I suppose." The redhead replied, looking disappointed.

Harry laughed and reached for the toast.

* * *

(Hermione POV)

It was nearly three a.m. and the trio was huddled under the invisibility cloak, just in case.

"Alright," Harry whispered loudly from beside her.

"Shhh!"

They crept up to the curtain and slowly, painstakingly pulled it open. The bed inside was a mess. There were books everywhere, pieces of parchment bent and sticking out from the stacks of books, and the blankets were twisted and tangled around their target: Ed.

His golden hair, now a faded caramel color in the dimness of night, was loose and strands strayed across his face. They took no notice as Hermione reached hesitantly towards his right hand.

Bit by bit, she pulled it down and something was revealed to them. There were quickly stifled gasps as they saw Ed's metal hand glinting in the moonlight.

"How far does it…?" Ron murmured wonderingly.

Hermione recalled her strong feeling of frustration that she didn't know anything about Ed, and it would take years of friendship until she finally understood him.

She took a deep breath, and reached for his sleeve.

His eyes snapped open, so bright that they were miniature suns in the darkness.

Hermione pulled her arm back and the trio stumbled back from the bed.

Ed didn't notice. He was hyperventilating, choking...blood spilled out of his mouth and began streaming from his nose.

He tumbled from the bed, landing heavily on the floor and gagging on more blood. "What the hell….?" They heard the blonde gasp as he pushed himself up from the floor and staggered to the bathroom.

Spurred on by morbid interest, they followed him to the bathroom door and watched, eyes wide, as Ed took in the bloody mess of his face.

"Shit." Sighing and looking furtively around, he fully removed his gloves and shirt, revealing a black undershirt. Turning the water up high, he dumped his bloody clothing into the sink, then moved over and turned on another sink, splashing his face until the blood was gone.

While that happened, the trio's eyes were fixed on the complex metal arm, that, as Ed turned around to lean back against the sink, turned out to be end after his shoulder, scarred skin extending beyond that.

After a few minutes of silence, Ed turned off the faucet that his clothes had been under and held up the thoroughly drenched overshirt. He laid it out on the counter and clapped before placing both hands on the shirtfront. There was a bright crackle of blue.

It was dry. Ed repeated the action to dry his gloves and slowly redressed, stretching and bending in ways that the wizards didn't think were possible. He was extremely flexible.

Then he stood up.

Realizing, they scrambled away, moving aside just in time as Ed walked out of the bathroom and trudged back to his bed, where he promptly collapsed onto his bed and began to snore.

Eyes wide, the trio fled to the common room where they settled into chairs by the dying fire. Going back to bed was pointless; they'd all just seen something extraordinarily unusual.

"Bloody hell! Ed's got a metal arm!" Ron exclaimed a bit too loudly.

As Hermione shushed him, Harry said, "Well, that's two questions we've got answered now. How'd he get a metal arm?"

"I have no idea. I've never even heard of prosthetics that advanced before...Muggle world or Wizarding world." Hermione replied, brow furrowed.

"D'you reckon he's from the future?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron. How on earth could he do that?"

"Magic, obviously. Remember that Time- Turner from third year?"

"I don't think it's powerful enough to do that. There's got to be some other explanation…. we've got to figure out what Ed's up to….but how? All of our other attempts have only led to more questions and asking Ed is out of the picture."

It struck Harry. "Veritaserum!" He announced excitedly, eyes flashing behind his glasses.

Ron grinned and Hermione groaned.

"And how would we do that, Harry?"

"Well, Neville or one of the twins usually grab him some food so he doesn't starve...why not put it in his food and give it to him?"

It was odd, the relationships Ed had formed with the three other Gryffindor. He spent time with Neville, who was a lot more confident now that he had a friend. Harry didn't really know what they did...study? Whatever, it was kind of nice to see Neville take on a Slytherin once in a while.

The twins' friendship with Ed seemed to be mischief-based, however. Even dark-eyed and menacing though he was, the blonde had some excellent ideas for pranks and Fred and George's number of shenanigans had nearly doubled since they met him.

"That won't work, Harry. Even if we do give him something dosed with Veritaserum, he can always get violent again or leave."

"We can freeze him with magic." Ron countered.

"Then how will he talk? Honestly, Ron!"

Their conversation continued for about an hour until Hermione decided to go with the simplest option, even if it would require some grueling searching, the library. Suddenly feeling the fatigue of the early hour, they all returned to their beds.

* * *

(Ed POV)

His night was unpleasant. For nearly an hour after his blood-filled moment of consciousness, he was sneezing almost constantly for an hour, little zaps of sleeplessness. He lay, half-awake and bemoaning his fate, when Harry and Ron snuck into the dorm and back to bed.

Ed only spared a moment to wonder what they could've been doing so late before he fell asleep.

The next day was exhausting and tedious. He'd been doing the same thing for Truth knows how many days. Reading books on alchemy was boring when they weren't even close to accurate.

Still, he persevered and shortly after he knew dinner had begun, he finished the last book that the library had to offer.

[ _Excellent. Now, let us murder long and sweet, no?_ ]

The voice hadn't talked to him for a while. Each time it did, it became more painful. Ed wiped away a tear of blood that had leaked out of the corner of his eye. That was also becoming more commonplace, as well as occasional nosebleeds and every so often puking blood.

His only explanation was that whatever was in his head was also destroying his body.

[ _Destroying is such a mean word, Edward! I prefer to think of it as redesigning! And it'll look so much prettier for when I take control and repaint this castle with homicide._ ]

The voice, which Ed had decided to call Bastard, had also become much more fluent, not as incoherent and jumbled as it had been in the first weeks of their painful interactions.

Ed wondered morosely if this meant he'd become more comfortable with the voice in his head. He could almost hear their future conversations…

" _How're the wife and kids, Bastard?"_

" _[Haha, Ed! You know I don't have a wife or kids! Hey, remember when I was first living in your head?]"_

" _Oh, yeah! Good times, good times…"_

" _[Totally! I always used to make you bleed. Remember that?]"_

" _Yeah...I remember! I hated you back then, can you believe it?"_

" _[Really? Wow, how times change, eh, buddy?]"_

" _True that!"_

…..Ed shivered and pushed the notion out of his head. It was definite. He was going insane.

His dark amusement faded into determination. He had half of the transmutation circle to get him home...there had to be some clue as to how he would get home.

He blinked. Ed was outside of the dorm...no, the common room. His feet had taken off and now he had no idea where the hell he was.

"Shit!" He vented loudly.

"Lost, young man?" A nearby painting asked in a low, silvery voice. Ed was reminded of a river for a moment.

"Yeah, and what's it to you?" Ed demanded waspishly.

"No need to be rude. It's just a question. I can guide you back to your tower - Gryffindor, if I am not mistaken - but first I have something I'd like to say to you. What you seek...it is right in front of you. It is simply the reverse of the reflection. Use what you already know. Shall we go?"

Ed studied the painting while it - she - talked. An oil painting, she had long hair that was an interesting mixture of lilac and ruby red. With dusky skin and glowing silver eyes, she was beautiful in a detached, ethereal sort of way.

Deciding he could trust her, Ed followed the odd woman down the halls until he was in front of the Fat Lady again.

"Hello, Catherine." Ed thought that he could at least bother to learn her real name (let's face it, it would do terrible things to your self-esteem, no matter how much you seemed not to care, to constantly be called the Fat Lady).

The kindly painting smiled happily at him and then craned her neck to look down the corridor's paintings, catching a glimpse of Ed's guide. Catherine looked unusually excited.

"Do you know who that is? I'd heard she was just a myth...I will have so much to tell Violet!" She squealed.

"Why? Who is she?" Ed tried to regain her attention.

"Oh, sorry, dear! You see, there is a myth about the purple and red haired woman who resides in a frame somewhere that can never be found in the castle...they say she is an angel whose picture was painted by a demon… their friendship was a tragic one that ended in both of their deaths, how tragic, but because of that friendship between complete opposites, the painting is imbued with extraordinary magical power! For you to have met her, you must be something special!"

Not even bothering to ask for a password, the painting swung outward and let Ed enter.

He remembered her words.

'It is simply the reverse of the reflection.'

At least he had something new to dwell upon. He curled up in a chair hidden in a corner of the common room with some writing materials he'd 'borrowed' from a nearby table.

His mood brightened as his mind began to vaguely form a thought, still blurry and uncertain, but more progress than he'd made in a while.

While the hopeful new idea stayed with him, the mood would not last long.

At the same time that the unmistakable feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong, the Weasley twins approached him.

Stifling Bastard, who had begun to whisper unintelligibly, which was new, but he could worry about that later, he faked a smile and let them drag him into an elaborate plot.

Pranking people was fun...if only he could do more than just scare them.

Ed's eyes widened slightly.

"Fuck." He whispered.

* * *

 **So, yeah, a teeny bit of plot development plus some of my own stuff because I felt like it. Sorry that Ed's getting a bit OOC (and maybe some of the other characters), I'll try to fix that next chapter, where there will also be a lot more plot development because I realize that the characters have been going in circles and it's ridiculous.**

 **Please review, or something. I don't know...**


	10. 10

**Yay! I updated! And sooner than I had expected, too! Why? Because I was reading tons of other fanfiction.**

 **Oh, and a shoutout to ravenclawfma, jadeblackheart4, shiemichan, The Mirror Above the Sink, and everyone else who reviewed! And thank you TailsGothicAngel, whose review was awesome!**

 **Sorry, but the purple-haired lady isn't in this chapter. She will hopefully be included in the next chapter, but I have no idea what I'm doing, so it's as much a matter of doubt to me as it may be to you.**

 **Anyways, here it is!**

 **Disclaimer: Blahdeeblah, long story short, I don't own either of these stories.**

* * *

Chapter 10

(Ed POV)

Ed couldn't sleep. He hadn't slept in days, and couldn't go much longer without it. This was not the problem, however. The problem was _why_ he couldn't sleep.

It wasn't anxiety, it wasn't an excess of energy, and it wasn't that he was thinking much. He didn't care about anything at the moment, and was so mind- and body-weary that he couldn't think and could barely move.

The reason that Ed, Hero of the People, Fullmetal Alchemist, couldn't sleep was the dark, grisly desire to kill, maim and torture that was filling his thoughts, as hard as he tried to stop it. Born in the dark, the thing in his head was taking over.

The blonde alchemist lay in the soft, thick darkness, eyes closed. His books were all pushed to the foot of the bed and his bed was warm and incomparably comfortable, especially with Verum curled up on his chest. He hadn't left his bed except to exercise, not since the first evening he'd realized that the thing was taking over.

He may have been going insane, but he wasn't going to get flabby. The correlation between a strong body and a strong mind had been well driven into him by his (cough cough sadistic) teacher, Izumi. Ed had noticed a calmer, brighter change in his thoughts when he exercised.

[ _Die die die die damn them all_ ]

Ed groaned slightly. His constantly aching head stepped up quite a few notches on the pain scale. It certainly did not help that he desperately needed sleep. Inside of his head, a sharp pain tugged at his cranium and it felt like a shark had got it's mouth around his brain and was now gnawing with rows of serrated teeth.

It was the kind of exhaustion that his bones and muscles screamed at him, and his eyes were burning holes in his head.

If only Ed could sleep…

[ _Ed...why do you push yourself so far...you know that your home is full of people who hate you for all the people you killed…_ ]

Ed gently relocated Verum, sat up, swung his legs over the edge of his bed, and slowly shuffled into the bathroom as he had done frequently in his many sleepless nights. He splashed water over his face in a useless attempt to clear his clotted head. He looked up absently, and caught sight of himself in the mirror.

His black clothing was wrinkled beyond belief, his hair was tied up messily, and there were shadowy circles under his dull eyes.

"Shit...what the hell am I doing, Al?"

[ _Stop asking your brother for help, Ed, he's dead and he's not coming back_ ]

"Dammit! Get out of my head!" Ed roared, slamming his fist into the mirror. The cracking and splintering didn't stop at the edge of the mirror. The whole room broke away and Ed was suddenly in a recreation of the room. It looked like it if you saw it straight on, but out of the corner of his eye, Ed saw the tiles and sinks twist and flicker.

"What the…" Ed jumped back as, with a clattering, deathly sound, the seemingly normal mirrors began multiplying and covering all available surfaces.

"What the hell is this?" He growled, punching through a mirror that shattered and fell away to reveal another mirror.

He watched in horror as his reflection began to bleed profusely from its eyes, nose, and mouth. The blood splattered against the mirror and Ed, possessed with a morbid curiosity, reached out to touch the red liquid.

Instead of his fingers coming away dark and sticky, he was pulled into the mirror, into a room identical to the one he had just been in, except for the grinning double of himself, whose blood was still gushing thickly onto the floor, was standing there in person.

"[ _Hello, Ed!_ ]"

Ed couldn't move. He was paralyzed with horror. His double grinned impossibly wider.

"[ _Welcome to hell! I've grown quite powerful!_ ]"

Their face split open and they turned inside out, morphing into a large white dog with a horse-like mane of long, dark hair.

Ed's eyes widened, pupils going small.

"N- nina? Nina!" The chimera turned intelligent eyes towards him. "Ed...ward...play? Ed...ward?"

The blonde began to cry as the dog burst apart in a colorful spray of blood.

"Shit...Nina...I'm so...sorry...it's all...all my fault…."

The blood drew back together and twisted itself into the form of the thing that had been the product of Ed's early human transmutation.

"So...son? Edward? Why...why did YOU DO THIS TO ME?!" The thing screeched, reaching it's too-thin arms towards him.

"Stop it!" Ed cried, "Dammit! Dammit, stop!"

"[ _Why Ed? Why? Why stop when you are so close to breaking?_ ]"

* * *

(Harry POV)

He woke up when he heard a crash. The noise came from the bathroom, and had woken up his dorm-mates. Harry rushed into the bathroom, the other boys close behind. Ed was lying on the floor, his left hand bloody and torn, a broken mirror shattered around the blonde, reflecting the lights like so many stars.

"Bloody hell!" A bleary-eyed Ron exclaimed, yawning.

Neville whimpered.

They all stood there, frozen by the sight of the blonde, who began to cry and scream, "Stop it! Dammit! Dammit, stop!"

Then his face contorted horribly and he was grinning, this dreadful, twisted grin, and laughing. "Why Ed? Why? Why stop when you are so close to breaking?"

Ed's once copper-like voice was broken and changed pitch and tone several times as he spoke.

He coughed up blood, and his nose began to bleed heavily. Harry was transfixed, terrified.

Seamus shouted, "Someone get Professor McGonagall!"

Snapped out of his trance, Harry ran out of the bathroom, out of the dorm, out of the common room, and down the corridors to Professor McGonagall's office.

"What is it, Harry?" The professor looked up, and her eyes widened imperceptibly at Harry's dishevelment.

"It's Ed, Professor, he's collapsed in the bathroom and he's screaming and bleeding!" McGonagall dropped her papers and hurried out of the office.

"Harry, I need you to go fetch Poppy - Madam Pomfrey. Be quick about it!"

Harry nodded and dashed away, towards the infirmary.

* * *

(McGonagall POV)

She arrived at the Gryffindor tower to find all of the Gryffindors crowded into the common room and a distant screaming.

Pushing her way through the panicked students, she made it to the bathroom and was shocked.

McGonagall had expected blood, yes, but….

The walls were painted a violent, uneven crimson, and the row of mirrors above the blood-smeared sinks were shattered and stained scarlet.

In the midst of the gory scene was Edward Elric.

He was crouched, sobbing, in the corner. McGonagall approached him cautiously, flinching when he let out a blood-curdling scream. The blonde Gryffindor keeled over, clutching his head so hard that his hair was sticky with the gruesome color that was splashed over the entire nightmarish bathroom.

A sinister, chilling laughter echoed hollowly off the walls. "Killkillkillkillkill I need to… kill… rip, tear, I am a dullahan I bring death I need no head this is bothersome…"

He began clawing at his neck, drawing blood.

McGonagall pushed through her horror and ran forward, pulling Edward's hands away from his neck. " _Quiesco!_ " She waved her wand at the boy. Nothing happened.

He simply stared at her, golden eyes windows to his soul as conflicting emotions flitted through them.

"Stop….it…." He begged of someone McGonagall could not see. "Please...sto-"

"What were you trying to do, bitch? No one no one can stop me I am the - well, I am the darkness that stands behind you on a frightful night and the blinding hatred that crushes your insides and the smell of blood hot and heavy and the murderer and weapon and victim. I am all! I cannot be stopped-!"

In a blossom of crimson, he fell unconscious.

McGonagall tentatively flipped the blonde over. He was far heavier than someone of his size should be.

There were shadowy circles under his eyes and blood streaked his face like war paint. Taking a breath, McGonagall looked around and wondered where the blood had come from. Not only that, but she was shaken by the sudden turn in the Gryffindor who'd once gotten top marks in class. He hadn't been to classes for a while, and McGonagall was baffled as to why none of the teachers had not felt the urge to reprimand him. That God-awful Umbridge was too scared of the intelligent boy to do so, but the others...

Storing it away for further ponderance, as well as why the magic hadn't worked, she decided she had to clean up the place.

The wide-eyed woman assessed the scene nauseously. Suppressing the urge to vomit, she spoke in a trembling voice. " _T - terego!_ "

The blood vanished off the walls. Muttering a few more spells, the professor clenched her clammy hands together and looked around the bathroom - once, twice, thrice, again for good measure - to make herself certain that the walls were not bleeding.

A few minutes later, Madam Pomfrey arrived. Pale-faced, she listened to McGonagall's short, but unnerving, explanation.

The last thing many of the Gryffindor, who were crowded into the common room, enraptured by the fifth-year boys' vivid descriptions of Ed's episode, saw of said blonde was when he was hurried by on a levitating stretcher, followed by a concerned-looking Madam Pomfrey and a pallid Professor McGonagall.

By the next morning, the faded, washed-out rumors of Ed's impact on the toadish Professor (now High Inquisitor) Umbridge would be replaced by over-the-top stories of his lapse into insanity.

* * *

(Hermione POV)

"Fine! Fine! You can see him!" Madam Pomfrey gave in at last. Hermione, Harry and Ron rushed past her into the infirmary, where Ed was sitting by a window. His eyes were turned to the grounds, but it was obvious that he wasn't seeing anything.

Hermione rushed forward, a giant, uneasy smile plastered across her face. "Ed!"

Starting slightly, he turned towards her. He returned her smile with a strained grin. "Hermione." Catching sight of the two boys peering at him from behind the brunette, his smile became even more forced. "Harry….! Ron….!"

"We brought you breakfast!" Harry grinned obliviously.

Ed's expression became warmer. "You're lucky you brought food. Give here."

He reached for the food and wolfed it down. With a satisfied sigh, he relaxed visibly and gave them a hazy smile. "I was really hungry, thanks."

"Never mind! We'd like to ask you some questions, though!" Hermione replied.

"What? Oh, sure…"

Hermione shared a look with Ron and Harry. The food had been laced generously with Veritaserum and a calming potion that they'd found instructions to in some random potions book. It appeared to be working successfully.

"Why….why do you have a metal arm?"

"I lost my real one."

"How?"

His expression darkened.

"An - an accident. I fucked up."

"What accident?" Hermione leaned in, brows furrowed with concerned curiosity.

"Human Transmutation…"

Puzzled, Hermione backtracked.

"Where did you get that arm? I've never seen anything like it."

"Winry made it for me." The golden-haired teen said with a sad smile.

"Who is Winry?" The bushy-haired bookworm asked, having noted his expression.

"Childhood friend and mechanic. She's a gearhead…" His expression grew wistful. "I miss her."

Evidently the addition had helped loosen Ed's tongue considerably. Hermione had heard that when under Veritaserum, those being questioned only gave the answer to the specific question.

"Why can't you go see her?"

"I can't find my way back. So close….so close."

"So close to what? Why can't you find your way back?" Hermione was deeply curious.

"I'm not from this world. I'm so close to finishing the alchemic array that will take me home." Ed said, a triumphant light in his otherwise potion-dulled eyes.

"Alchemy? Wait - another world? How?" Ron and Harry shared a look with Hermione, confusion displayed on their faces.

"Alchemy is a science. Understand, deconstruct, reconstruct, basically. The other world is possible because Truth - well, God - sent me here in...exchange." Ed explained tiredly, yawning.

"Exchange for what?" She asked, unsure of whether or not she wanted to hear the answer.

"My brother's...body."

The trio gasped.

"Y- You brought him back to life?" Harry stuttered, aghast.

"No, his soul was still here. I just got his body back...I hope." Ed adopted a troubled expression.

"You mean, you don't know? If he's back?" Hermione asked keenly.

"No…"

"Oh. Umm….what is Human Transmutation?" At a loss as to what say next, it was time for a change of topics.

"Alchemy….a taboo...for performing alchemy on a person." Ed said sleepily.

"What did you do?"

"We….tried to bring her back to life. Mom…"

Ed began to cry. Hermione looked back at Harry and Ron. Looking uncomfortable, Harry glanced at his watch and his countenance darkened.

"Is it time already?"

Harry nodded, biting his lip. Hermione sighed and shot a glance back at the shaking Ed. "That should be enough...I feel so bad about all this…"

"Yeah, well, let's go." Ron pulled them out of the room.

Hermione cast one last sad look back at the blonde who had silent tears streaming down his face.

"So many questions answered, but…" Hermione spoke dazedly, "I can't get my head around it at all!"

"No kidding," Ron replied, wide-eyed, "he's from a whole other bloody world! And...he tried to bring his mum back from the dead…he's a nutter!"

"Wouldn't you do the same if you thought there was a way?" Harry said quietly.

"Oh! Right, mate. Sorry about that."

"Well, we've got enough to ask him about that he will probably have no choice but to answer our questions should we ask." Hermione reasoned.

"When should we do that?"

"He'll be out until tonight," Harry said slowly, "so maybe tomorrow."

"That sounds bloody good." Ron said, and the trio walked on, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

* * *

(Ed POV)

He woke up with dried tears on his cheeks and the tang of salt on his lips. Rubbing his face vigorously, he tried to remember why he had been crying. He last remembered the Golden Trio bringing him food-

Did they drug him? Why?

He had something worse than the Golden Trio to worry about, though.

[ _Yes yes isn't that right?_ ]

"Yep," smiled Ed wearily, "that voice in my head." His voice was so soft it wasn't audible over the wind that had begun to pick up in the darkness outside.

[ _It's gonna storm tonight...a perfect night…._ ]

It was like his brain was being crushed instantaneously but at the same time it was as though it was slowly being ground away for millennia; a sharp-and-dull pain.

Letting out a low whistle that gave way into a groan, Ed put his hands to his forehead. He needed something, _anything_ to distract himself.

[ _Oh come on Ed! Do my entrancing depictions of massacre not please your fancy?_ ]

'It is simply the reverse of the reflection.'

[ _Fine fine you go ahead and do that...I have work to do..._ ]

Truth, it hurt. "Bastard," growled Ed before the pain lessened considerably and he could turn his focus onto the puzzling hint the painting had dropped.

What the hell did that woman...angel...mean? Ed wished he had Al with him. Having Al with him would have made finding an answer so much easier. The last time he'd faced a riddle like this...he'd…

Damn! How could he have missed that?

Looking around furtively, Ed scanned the moonlit room for any sign of another person. It was irrational; it was obvious that no one was there without checking extensively.

Slipping out of the infirmary, Ed made his way to the kitchens (he'd discovered them his first week of studentship at Hogwarts), he grabbed some food from the ever-eager house elves. Unbelievably stealthy for someone with two metal limbs, he stole out of the entrance hall and into the soft dark of the night.

Standing in front of the Forbidden Forest, golden eyes glowing softly, he smiled at the memory of Al's and his month alone on an island to prove their determination to learn alchemy to Izumi Curtis.

Smirking slightly, he stepped into the cimmerian depths of the thick trees.

His reasoning behind this venture was simple. He was simply mirroring the situation that had helped him find the answer to the 'all is one, one is all' test, except in a far more dangerous place. He was sure he could handle it. It was also to help contain the growing storm clouds that were clawing at his insides. Kind of like a 'journey of self-discovery', Ed mused with his trademark smirk.

He had gotten a few hundred meters into the tangle of overgrown vegetation when he heard a low growl. Tired, but grinning eagerly, he turned to face his new opponent.

[ _Rend tear rip let me savage their flesh give me a little leeway here!_ ]

* * *

 **Aaaaaand you made it to the end of another chapter! Please review!**

 **If anyone is OOC, please tell me if you think so, and in what way, so I can edit the story and get the characters better.**

 **That's all for now, au revoir!**


	11. 11

**What's this? A new chapter? Why so it is! Another chapter of my hopefully likable fanfiction!**

 **Thank you SnowPixieMoon, Vanne-the-bookworm, Ephemyst, shiemichan, The Mirror above the Sink, Liliana, and guests who reviewed.**

 **Also, to all who reviewed and commented that it was OOC for the Golden Trio to drug Ed, I'm sorry, but I couldn't think of another way to get him to spill some secrets.**

 **Oh, and sorry for mistakes. I kind of wrote this in one sitting because I don't write a lot. I know, I know. Actually, I don't.**

 **Okay, I don't usually start my introductions like this. Anyway, let the reading begin!**

* * *

Chapter 11

(Hermione POV)

Hermione felt absolutely horrible about the use of Veritaserum on Ed, and she could tell that Harry and Ron felt the same. It was funny; she hadn't felt that way when they actually used it on him, but in retrospect it made her feel like a terrible person.

She had a few thoughts as to what was making her feel this way. Even though ever since they'd first tried to ask Ed about his past their relationship had been shaky at best, she still considered him a friend. So the use of a forceful potion on him was unsettling because it showed distrust of someone who Hermione considered trustworthy.

Despite her guilty reflections on the previous day's interrogation, Hermione was glad that they had gotten answers out of the reclusive blonde. What was more troubling were the answers themselves. Alchemy, supposedly a dead branch of magic, had been used in an attempt to raise the dead. (That affected Harry more than he let on, but Hermione didn't think it would last the week.)

Along with the loss of his arm, his brother had lost his body. How he was still around was a loss to Hermione. Fate willing, she'd be able to understand more after they confronted the alchemist with the information they now ad at their disposal.

As bad as she felt about the idea, cornering Ed and working out these problems would be far preferable to drugging him again. She just hoped he wouldn't ask about how they knew the things they did.

"Oi, Hermione! Hurry up!" Ron called back to her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She was trailing behind the two boys and instantly quickened her pace to catch up.

A few minutes later, the trio reached the infirmary, met by a foul-tempered Madam Pomfrey.

"Can we see Ed?" Harry asked nervously.

"No. That thick-headed boy's not in here." The irritated nurse replied, expression a mix of anger and worry.

"What d'you mean?" Ron queried.

"The boy's missing! Since last night. He probably got hungry and like the food-minded adolescent that he is, got lost trying to find the kitchens. I hope they find him soon," the unusually informative woman replied, "He's in a very fragile state."

"But we saw him yesterday, and he seemed fine!" Hermione remarked.

"Oh, physically, yes, but-"

"Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Ms Granger, are you looking for Mr Elric?" A crisp voice interrupted.

"Oh! Er, yes, Professor McGonagall." Harry said before Hermione could open her mouth.

"I understand your concern, but classes are due to start soon. It would be better for you to focus on your academics at the moment, I'm sure your friend will be fine. If you'll excuse me, I have something to discuss with Madam Pomfrey."

Shooting glances at each other and back at the empty infirmary, the trio turned and began walking towards their next class, holding a low, concerned conversation about their friend's sudden disappearance.

* * *

(Ed POV)

Blinking sleepily, the blonde alchemist tied his hair up and wondered why he'd ever thought this would end well. His night had been long and harrowing. After that first ominous growl (it turned out that there were monstrous wolves in the forest) he had been denied the simple pleasures of sleep until he found a suitable tree and somehow managed to grab some sleep before the sunlight had awoken him.

The school had surely noticed his absence by now. He chuckled. They probably thought that he was lost somewhere looking for the kitchens.

[ _1 2 3 and there's blood blood blood_ ]

Staggering, he leaned his weight against the thick trunk of a nearby tree. "Shit! That hurts!" Ed ground out through gritted teeth. He slid down, hand still pressed against the sandpaper-like bark of the tree.

[ _I don't think it'll last long_ ]

Lifting his hand up to wipe some sweat from his forehead, he noticed with detachment that his hand was slick with a thin, orange-ish liquid that Ed realized, with panic finally breaking through his dispassion, was blood.

[ _What did I tell you? It's fragile breaking breaking broken!_ ]

Eyes closed tightly, Ed tried to bring his breathing back into a steady rhythm. Along with apparently rearranging his insides, the thing in his head was now breaking apart his skin. "I'm so fucked." He leaned against the tree gingerly, not wanting to risk more blood.

[ _Yes you are fucked so fucked up haha fucking broken insane unstable lost hahaha who's more put together now, alchemist_ ]

"What the hell are you talking about, bastard? Oh, great, now I'm talking to the voice in my head. That doesn't change the fact that I'm still perfectly - okay, mostly - rational!" Ed snapped.

[ _and..._ ]

The blonde slammed his metal fist into the tree, creating a deep, splintering mark. "Still, this need...it's strong."

[ _Yes..._ ]

* * *

(Gasp! It's a time skip because I'm lazy.)

Ed had been walking for hours, if the sun was anything to go by. "What the hell am I looking for, anyway? Dammit, this is stupid. I'm an idiot!"

As pointless as this was, he still couldn't shake this gut feeling that something important was going to happen inside this forest.

[ _Kill kill them all a spectrum of murder_ ]

It was like some inhuman voice was screaming inside of his head. This was the worst the pain had ever gotten. Ed collapsed, not caring that his hand was bleeding again from it's painful and unsuccessful attempt to soften the impact of his body on the uneven forest floor.

[ _Blood blood blood blood yes yes don't be afraid_ ]

Groaning, Ed sat up, put his hands into his pockets and fished out some food. Maybe the pain in his head would lessen if he got some food into himself. Biting into a slightly bruised apple, he wearily eyed the faint blood smeared across his flesh hand. It was probably too late for his gloves; he had a feeling that they would just make his hand hurt. And it wasn't like he had to hide his automail from anyone out here.

Pushing himself into an unsteady stand, he staggered forward through the trees, looking through a painful haze for a soft place to rest.

What he found was not a resting place but a silvery pool fed by a gleaming stream. Remembering to check the water for potential dangers, he stripped down to his boxers and slid gratefully into the cool water, enjoying the instant relief of soft, brisk water on his sore muscles.

[ _Paint it red paint it black paint it paint it paint it dark and stormy with hate and love and rage and kindness_ ]

"Shut up," groaned Ed before he completely submerged himself. Fumbling underwater with his hair tie, he undid his braid and watched with a calm happiness as the long golden hair swirled and floated in the water gracefully. There was still a darkness in his mind, but the silvery light of the sunlight penetrating the water helped push it gently back.

The blonde stayed in the peaceful pond for a while longer, submerging occasionally, then got out and made sure to dry his automail limbs off completely.

There was a serene tranquility in the small clearing that, if Ed was religious, he would have likened to a holy site. It was cleansing; his head felt clearer than it had for weeks and the gentle air brushed gently against him as he reclined against the mossy base of a tree and let the sun wash over him.

"If I ever get back to Amestris, I'm taking everyone camping." Ed allowed himself a small smile.

[ _If they're not all dead, that is._ ]

"Shut up, bastard…" Ed slurred as the languid atmosphere around him lulled him into the best sleep he'd had in years.

* * *

(Hermione POV)

"What is it, Hagrid?" Harry asked of the large man, who had stopped by their table in the Great Hall.

"'E's been spotted!" The bearded man responded eagerly.

"Who's been spotted?" Ron asked as he lifted a slice of pie to his mouth.

"Ed! I 'eard from one of me frien's. They said they'd seen 'im, Ed!"

"Where did they see him?" Harry's eyes were wide.

"In the Forbidden Forest. He's got a lot o' guts! Or he's mad!"

Hermione processed this, then asked, "What's Ed doing in the Forbidden Forest?"

"Dunno. Umbridge's furious. Says we oughta go get 'im and give 'im detention." Hagrid grunted.

"I thought she was scared witless of Ed." Hermione commented.

"So'd I. Well, I'd best be off then. Bye, Harry, Hermione, Ron!" He ambled away, leaving the group of friends to talk about this new piece of information.

Hermione let herself become enveloped in her own thoughts as Ron and Harry engaged in a speculative conversation.

Why was Ed in the forest? He was bandaged - Hermione wondered about that, didn't magic work on Ed? The potions did - and had had a meltdown in the boys' bathroom. The blonde, however stubborn he may have been, was in no state to try and defend himself against the numerous dangerous creatures that roamed the Forbidden Forest.

And why had he even thought it to be a good idea? Maybe...Hermione hesitated to even consider this….but maybe Ed had gone insane. She pushed the thought away immediately. The canny blonde had to have a good reason...

"Oi! Hermione!" Startled, she jumped and dropped her bag on Ron's foot.

Letting out a pained groan, the ginger glared at Hermione. "There's no need for you to drop your bloody bag on my foot, Hermione!"

"Oh! Sorry! I was just thinking…"

"What about?" Harry asked, eyes puzzled and searching behind his round glasses.

"Oh, nothing. Anyway-"

" _Hem hem!_ If I could ask for your attention, dear students. A particular - unruly - classmate of yours has run off into the Forbidden Forest. I assure you he will be found and fittingly...punished. That is all. Thank you."

As Umbridge sat down, murmuring filled the Great Hall. "I wonder what kind of punishment he'll receive!" "I thought she was scared half to death of the guy." "Which guy?" "Edward Elric, of course." "The one who let a dragon loose in the toad's office?" "No, it was a hippogriff!"

"So…" Fred slid over to the silent trio.

"...any idea why your miniscule buddy's run off into the place not even Fred and I dare go?" George finished his twin's beginning.

"No," said Harry, downcast.

"What a letdown…"

"...from our favorite little snoops!"

"Have ickle Ronniekins…"

"...and his pals…"

"...lost their wittle detective touch?"

Ron snorted scornfully and stood up, mirroring Harry and Hermione.

"Where are you going?" They chorused in unison.

"None of your business," replied Ron defensively.

As they walked through the large doors, Ron whispered, "Where are we going?"

"We're going to find Ed."

"You mean...go into...the Forbidden Forest? You've gone mad, Harry!"

"I agree with Ron, Harry! We really shouldn't…"

"I don't care!" Harry half-shouted. "If you're not going with me, I'll find him myself!"

Frowning, Hermione hurried after her dark-haired friend, who was striding away angrily. Looking back, she saw Ron standing still, troubled, before he shrugged and followed them.

Turning back around, she saw Harry had stopped to talk to a painting. Running, she was soon standing by him and could clearly see the painting.

"You must be Hermione." The painting, a dusky-skinned woman, stated calmly. "I assume you are planning to seek out your sun-eyed friend in the forest of the forbidden."

"Yes..but how do you know?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"I was just asking her that," Harry said, "but she won't tell."

"Yes, I cannot tell you that. Nor can I say how it will end, either way I trust it will end with the departure of the golden-haired boy. Now, I must go. I bid you farewell, Chosen One, Hermione."

And with that soft goodbye, the red-purple haired woman stepped lightly through the paintings, out of sight.

"Chosen One?" Harry asked, bemused.

"Oi! Harry! Hermione!" Ron was running towards them. "There you are!"

* * *

(Ed POV)

He opened his eyes to the fading red of a navy sky. "Sunset?" He wondered sleepily. Yawning, he awoke his senses to hear the soft whooshing of windswept water and the quiet rattling of leaves.

Ed was invigorated. It was amazing, the effect this place had-

[ _You were saying?_ ]

"Agh!' Ed gasped, nose suddenly dripping thick red streams that stained the mossy ground a rusty color. "What the hell-" His eyes darkened and his mouth curled into a lopsided grin, "-is this amazing feeling? No...no...not feeling...taste! Ah! Blood!" He exclaimed as he wiped his tongue around his mouth, tasting the metallic flavor of hot blood.

"No! No, stop! Bastard! Bastard!" His grin twisted into a grimace.

Ed slammed a hand into a tree, forgetting that it was his flesh hand. With a scrape of pain, his hand came away bloody. "Shit! Stupid, stupid fucking voice in my head! Dammit!" Making to slam his fist into the tree, he stopped himself and his arm swung uselessly in the air.

His expression changed again, and he smashed his forearm into the tree trunk. Blood trickled down his arm, thick beads breaking through the bruising surface. "Oho! Look! It's breaking, bruising, shattering! Where is that, that castle? Hmm."

Grinning eagerly, he lifted his steel hand to his head and scratched. "Oh yes! Thataway!" He strode confidently into the trees.

* * *

(Ed's POV: In his head)

"Huh?" Blinking confusedly, he sat up; Ed had been spread-eagled on the ground of the clearing. Looking around, he saw only the clearing, because where the trees had been, the forest ground faded into misty whiteness.

That wasn't right. He knew that much. Pushing himself uneasily to his feet by bracing his hands against his thighs, the first thing his eyes refocused on was the pond.

But what he saw was not his reflection. Rather, it was the 'angel'.

"Edward Elric. Hello." Her face was impassive.

"Hey. Why - no - how are you here?"

"Simple. I gained access through interaction via my painting. The last impression of me on this earth, I'm afraid. We have a complication. You see, the darkness in your mind has taken control." She said this tonelessly.

"I'll just beat him up. Heh. Al always said I was too reckless." Ed grins.

"That won't work amusing as it sounds, Edward. This is not something you can simply 'beat up'." A small smile curved her lips.

"You can smile! Well, then, how do I get my body back?" Ed asked, grin completely gone.

She smiled wider. Tired, Ed crouched low and then settled into a cross-legged position.

"I have an answer. It will take a while, though. Are you willing?"

"Hell yes! Thank you…?"

"Please, call me Austiel. I will proceed."

* * *

 **Alright! New developments in the story! Again, tell me of anything's OOC and if it's small enough, I will try to fix it! Can't promise anything, I'm lazy, but I'll try.**

 **Anyway, bye y'all!**


	12. 12

**Hello! I'm a week late with the new chapter! Sorry for the wait!**

 **Anyway, this probably sucks because I kind of lost inspiration but I'd really like to get this done.**

 **Thanks to everyone who favorited and followed!**

 **Disclaimer: Just in case it was never obvious, I don't own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

Chapter 12

(Ed POV(ish))

The night was quiet, as if everything was holding its breath.

Not that anyone noticed. They were all holed up in the big castle, drunk with the illusion of safety. Not that he could blame them; after all, nothing truly _bad_ had ever happened at Hogwarts, right?

That would change. He knew that, and that knowledge made his mouth contort into a broad, sinister smile.

Standing at the edge of the grounds, in the last sheltering confines of the forest, he clapped his hands eagerly and drew in a long breath.

Purposefully, he began to walk forward.

* * *

(Harry POV)

Harry stared at the flames that licked the stone walls of the fireplace. Perched impatiently in a large, red armchair, he was waiting for the last few Gryffindors to go to bed so he, Ron and Hermione could sneak out and find Ed. Ron was also aimlessly gazing around, while Hermione was bent over her work, quill scratching incessantly across the parchment.

Finally, the remaining sleepy-eyed Gryffindors conceded defeat to the wearying advances of time and retired to their respective beds.

The dark-haired wizard sprung from his chair and grabbed the silvery Invisibility Cloak from his bag. "Come on, let's go." He said to Ron and Hermione, who had also, if less excitedly, stood up. With one sweeping movement, the cloak was draped over the three students.

They crept out of the common room, ignoring the drowsing Fat Lady.

As the large front doors opened slowly, each slow creak making the Golden Trio cringe and glance around to make sure that no one had heard the commotion and come to check it out.

At first just a thin breeze, a gentle wind now buffeted them as they hesitantly snuck out into the starlit darkness of the night.

But their searching was fruitless. It was only an hour before they gave up, but in that time the trio had wandered through the perimeter of the forest, not daring to go deep enough to risk danger. Reflecting back on it, even Harry realized it was a hopelessly idiotic method of searching for his friend. It was likely the trio had simply hoped to find their mysterious golden-haired friend wandering around, conveniently visible to them.

Defeated and fatigued, they collapsed thankfully into the cushy chairs that circled the dwindling fire. Harry rejoiced in the warmth of the

"I'm totally wiped," Ron groaned as he shifted his shoulders to more effectively sink into into the cozy confines of his armchair.

"Me too," Harry and Hermione sighed in unison. They looked at each other, Harry seeing his mild surprise echoed on Hermione's face.

"Do you think he's alright?" The brown-haired girl asked with the monotone detachment of a person who desperately needed sleep.

"He'll be fine! He's Ed, after all…" Ron tried halfheartedly to reassure them, but their expressions remained troubled. Harry couldn't keep down the feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong.

He lurched to his aching feet. Wordlessly, Harry trudged up to his dorm, not bothering to see if Ron was following. The feeling faded as he collapsed into his bed, nearly asleep before his head even hit the covers.

* * *

(Hermione POV)

Hermione woke up early, as per usual. The boys would most likely be asleep for a while longer, and while she enjoyed their time spent together, she did always treasure a bit of alone time. After getting dressed, she quietly slipped down the staircase and nestled in a chair by the fire. It was crackling cheerfully; obviously a house elf had come and built it up.

She thought it was terrible, the way house elves were treated. Everyone else said it was ridiculous, that house elves were happy with their existence, but Hermione simply couldn't believe that any living thing could be content with a life of servitude, without any free will.

As outraged as Hermione was about the house elves' situation, she had to admit to herself that she did have something even more pressing to ponder.

Edward Elric.

She knew a lot more about him than she had even a week ago. He had a metal limb; he lost it in an attempt to bring his mother back to life with alchemy. More shockingly, he was from a different world. Hermione had no idea how he had gotten to her world, and she wanted answers. It was unlikely she would ever get them, though. How could she? Hermione didn't have a way to successfully obtain any information, and she doubted she ever would.

It was infuriating! She kept going in circles!

The brunette would have liked to continue sitting there, thinking things over, but she realized that she was hungry.

Normally she would have woken up Harry and Ron by now. Sighing, she climbed the boys' dorm stairs and barged into their room. Harry was already half-awake, but Ron was snoring loudly, tangled in his sheets.

"Wake up!" Hermione said urgently, shaking Ron. She didn't feel like being gentle; Hermione was hungry and Ron's indolence was not going to get in between her and her breakfast. Show it though she may not, Hermione had a healthy appreciation for food.

Grudgingly, far slower than the brunette would have liked, Ron struggled out of bed.

Finally, down at the Great Hall-

Was Ed.

Or that was who it appeared to be at first glance. Hermione's initial relief turned to dread as her focus shifted from him to the surrounding Hall. The tables had been pushed to the sides, food scattered across the floor. Students huddled as far away from Ed as they could get, most seeking refuge behind the teacher's table, where the professors sat, pale-faced.

"Oh, it's you!" His voice was wrong. It crackled and wavered and paused at intervals. One look at Harry told Hermione that this was akin to what had occurred in the bathroom just a few days ago.

"Erm...yes?" Hermione ventured, wincing at the obvious tremble in her voice.

"Afraid? No need to be afraid. It all gets lost with the red."

"Who are you?" Harry shouted.

"Me? Why, I'm Ed!" He grinned broadly, spreading his arms out with a lazy shrug. "Now, I have no time for you." Clapping his hands, he pressed them to the ground and with a burst of blue light, stone arms grew from the walls, wrapping their fingers firmly around the trio.

Hermione's fears had been confirmed. Ed had gone over the line. It was unmistakable; the glint of delirium in his blazing golden eyes, the creepily wide smile that stayed fixed on his face.

The hands were rigid and painful, but she ignored the discomfort to watch as Ed began carving something into the floor.

Luckily for Hermione, who was curious as to what he was drawing, Ed began to ramble.

"I could just clap my hands and get this over with, you know. But carving it, etching it deeply into your treasured hall, is so fun! Besides, your terrified expressions are wonderful! Oh, and how could I forget? Alchemy needs equivalent exchange. Equivalent exchange, in this case, requires something you won't like. You see, you're so very dependent on those little sticks of yours. They are full of your so-called 'magic'. And if I were to use those, why, anything could be possible! No use struggling," he began walking around to the teachers (who, Hermione now saw, were trapped in their chairs by wooden binds) and collecting their wands.

With a handful of wands, Ed strode happily back to the centre of the hall. "I've had enough fun for today. Now, if you don't mind, I'll be taking my leave of you now."

"Young man! I can't allow you to go through with whatever you're planning! With the authority of High Inquisitor, I forbid you from doing anything!" Umbridge, livid and heavily confined, squeaked.

Ed turned to look at her. "Umbitch!" Behind the cheer was an icy coldness. "I see you've let your power fill your otherwise empty head. You honestly believe that a title, one that no one takes seriously, will stop me? Truth, I've met the most idiotic being alive!"

The short, pink-clothed woman's face became even redder. "How dare you! I'll have you-" One clap and blue sparked across the floor, clinging to the stone that rose from the floor to wrap around Umbridge's mouth.

Turning around to face them again, Hermione could see that Ed had a bored, faintly amused expression on his face. "Well, toad bitch is taken care of. Hahaha! I have you all here! I could rip tear kill bleed bleed blood red red redredredredredredredredred! Hahhh…!"

Wide-eyed again, mouth spread in a wide curve, Ed turned once again to his drawing.

"What d'you think he's drawing?" Ron asked quietly. Unfortunately for him, the whisper echoed through the dead air and the blonde moved quickly.

Ungloved metal hand covering the ginger's mouth, Ed leaned in and said, "Damn idiot. I've wanted to kill you for a while now. He! I think I'll spare you, after all, there's enough blood caked in my gears as it is...aah!"

Reeling away, clutching his head, Ed's normal voice pierced the silence. "Get out of my head, you damn bastard!"

What was happening? Hermione struggled against the stone that held her, to no avail. "We've got to do something! He's distracted!" She hissed to Harry and Ron.

"What are we supposed to do? We're stuck!" Harry whispered back.

Hermione had not thought it through. "Oh."

So much for that.

"Damn...it...all!" Ed roared, pulling in everyone's attention. Kneeling, he punched the ground repeatedly. One hand bloody, the other with dented knuckles, he stood up.

Ed looked around, eyes wide, not with madness, but surprise.

Slowly, for what seemed like an eternity, a calm determination filled Ed's brilliant eyes.

"Sorry about all that," he said. With a clap of his hands, he released everyone from whatever alchemical bindings they were in.

But before anyone could move, before Hermione could call out to him, he cast them a long, regretful look and placed his hands on the thing he had carved into the worn stone floor.

Light so bright that everyone had to turn away filled the room, spilling from the floor.

As the light died away, the silence was broken by panicked murmuring.

"Quiet!" Dumbledore called. The other professors close behind the tall wizard, they strode out to the floor where Ed had disappeared.

"I demand answers! Dumbledore, how could you allow such a- a monstrous boy into this school!" Umbridge burst out.

"Later, Dolores. Heads of House, if you could escort your students back to their dorms."

Hermione didn't want to move. She was frozen, stunned. She knew about the alchemy, of course. The brunette assumed that whatever light had taken Ed away had been alchemy, taking him back to his world.

But there was still so much she didn't know - would never know. Why had Ed become so...unstable? How had he come here? Potions worked on him, but not spells. Why? How? There were so many questions…

With a start, Hermione realized that despite her unwillingness to move, she was in a crowd of Gryffindors in front of their dorm.

* * *

(General POV)

The aftermath of Ed's departure was hectic, to say the least. All rumors about conspicuous events involving Ed suddenly blew up again. This time, the rumors were far more extravagant than before. Anyone who had ever talked to Ed at least several times was faced with questions and pleas for 'inside' information.

The alchemical circle on the floor of the Great Hall had been erased by Dumbledore, much to the displeasure of Umbridge, who wanted to call in Ministry officials to study it, and the students, who wanted to try it out.

Ministry officials did visit, albeit without any alchemical circles to scrutinize, and thoroughly questioned as many students as they could.

There was something that the students didn't know - would never know. The student population had decreased by two. That wasn't odd; it had become more common for families who supported the Ministry's suspicions about Dumbledore to pull their children out of Hogwarts.

So of course none of the students were at all disturbed by the loss of two classmates; a bit sad, maybe, but resigned to the fact that some of their classmate's families would pull them out of school.

The faculty and Ministry officials who were aware of the real reason of the two students' disappearance.

It was in a room, not far from the Potions classroom. They had been found by Professor Snape. It had shaken even the foul-tempered professor. It had been cleaned up immediately and the bodies removed discreetly.

It was obvious that Ed had done it - or, according to Professor McGonagall, whatever had possessed Ed. However, punishment was out of the question because Ed was now unreachable.

No one had expected it. Even Dumbledore was taken aback. Yes, the blonde had snapped or been possessed, and yes, death was not uncommon at Hogwarts, but the manner of the deaths was by far the most brutal in decades.

There was nothing to remind them of Ed. The rumors were still popular, and would remain so for years, but there were no physical reminders and so the horror faded. It was never forgotten, but it faded.

Life resumed its regular pace. Well, as regular as it could get at Hogwarts.

* * *

(Roy Mustang POV)

It had been a great day for Roy Mustang. Riza had been away all day, so there had been no gun-wielding blonde to torture him with paperwork. He had gotten a nice nap in, along with some aimless staring out of the window.

So he was pissed when a lower-ranking soldier came bursting in, panicked and out of breath.

"What is it?" He snapped, raising a gloved hand.

"The Fullmetal Alchemist, sir! They found him!"

* * *

 **So, I've kind of lost inspiration for this story. I'm thinking one more chapter and then I'm done. I have a feeling if I try to drag this out longer, it would just flop.**

 **I suppose I could have done better with this story if I had planned it. Oh well. Hey, maybe I'll go through and edit/rewrite it one day. Who knows?**

 **Anyhow, thank you for reading!**


	13. 13

**Yay! Another chapter!**

 **This is the last chapter, and I'd like to thank everyone who had favorited, followed, reviewed, and read my story!**

 **Oh, and, for all the people who reviewed and were wondering about the voice in Ed's head, it's simply a conscious of sorts that feeds on darkness (and you know Ed has a lot of that in his past). Truth put it in his head as Ed's toll.**

 **Disclaimer: As unnecessary as I think this is at this point, I don't own FMA or Harry Potter.**

* * *

Chapter 13

(Roy POV)

He stood in the doorway, impatient. Yeah, yeah, it was a touching moment of brotherly reunion, but Roy had questions to ask.

Still, he resolved to keep his patience in check, if only for a little longer, and observed the scene silently. Ed was kneeling next to his still-frail brother's bed. Al was crying, Ed was trying not to cry, and Armstrong, who had dropped by to visit, was crying and sparkling.

"You've got your body back," Ed said with relief and happiness.

"I know, brother," Al said, equally emotionally.

Roy had given them their time, probably not enough, but his patience was short-lived.

"Pipsqueak," he called, earning a murderous glare from the golden-haired teen, "where the hell were you?"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL A HOUSE ELF COULD SQUASH HIM UNDERFOOT?! I'M NOT SMALL, DAMMIT!"

Classic Ed. Although he was confused about what a house elf was, Roy smirked. He was still waiting for an answer.

The Fullmetal Alchemist sighed, then turned fully to face Roy. "It's a long story. I'm not going to stop for questions, so listen up. Hold up, can you get Winry here? My automail is killing me."

Winry had thrown herself into taking care of Al after Ed disappeared, but now that the youngest Elric was faring better, she had returned to her job in Rush Valley.

Roy stepped out of the room and found the nearest telephone. One short, rather loud, phone call later, Winry was on her way to Central.

Meanwhile, Roy took a chair across from Ed.

"Where were you? After the final fight with Father, you performed Human Transmutation and disappeared, leaving Al in your place."

"Hehe...you're not going to believe this." Ed grinned, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You'd be surprised."

"Well, when I saw Truth, I offered it my gate-"

"Brother!" Al exclaimed reproachfully.

"Anyways, instead of taking my gate, it sent me to this weird world. There was a group of strange people that I met and they took me in. That's where I discovered it - magic."

Roy couldn't help himself. The blonde was so serious-looking and he was talking about magic, of all things! He burst out laughing.

Ed glared at him until his amusement faded a bit - not completely, Roy was still smirking as Ed continued.

"They sent me to a school-" even Al laughed this time "-and I met a toady bitch. Everyone else was okay - there were a few kids I actually hung out with. Though, they were all so spoiled! Everyone praises some kid, Harry, 'cause his parents died! And Harry's a damn brat! I'm surprised he has friends! The toad bitch was suppressing us for some reason or another, so they decided to rebel. That was the fun part."

Ed's voice dropped and Roy felt a pang of apprehension.

"I started hearing this voice - it was the scariest fucking thing - and my head felt like it was slowly splitting open. Then there were these nightmares...I had to get home so - luckily the school had a library - I spent days looking for a way back. It was impossible to sleep, anyway. It just got worse from there. I decided to spend some time in the forest - yes, the school had a forest - but then I fell asleep at a pond I found and the voice in my head took over.

I got back in control, though. A painting - there were paintings everywhere and they all moved - somehow got into my head and she helped me out. When I regained my body, I was in the Great Hall - a big dining room - and everyone around me was freaked out. My possessed self had carved the transmutation circle for the way home into the floor - how it - I - knew the complete array is something I may never know. I activated the circle, and now I'm back."

The room was quiet for a moment. Then Roy asked, "How did the voice get there - in your head?"

"That was my price. For having Al back."

There were a lot of holes in Ed's story, but Roy could see that he was exhausted and sighed. "Go to bed. You can tell us everything you missed tomorrow."

It was a sign of how tired Ed was when he simply nodded and replied, "Yeah."

* * *

(Winry POV)

She looked up at the tall, imposing building. There was no hesitation in her step as she strode into the building. Winry passed several uniformed people who nodded their heads at her. The blonde knew a lot of soldiers at Central because of her time spent caring for Al.

There it was. His room.

Bursting in, Winry yelled, "Ed!"

Where was he? Al grinned at her.

Winry crossed the room and leaned over Al's bed. Ed was crouched on the other side, cringing.

"Al! You traitor! You told Winry where I was!"

Winry scowled down at the golden-haired alchemist. Months apart and he hides from her! What had he done to his automail this time?

"You idiot!" She shouted, going around Al's bed and bending over to glare at him. Then she started crying and fell to her knees.

"I missed you!" Winry sobbed. Feeling a metal hand on her shoulder, she looked up.

Ed smiled. "Sorry. I missed you too, Winry."

"I hate you," the mechanic said as she hugged Ed.

After a few moments, she pulled away and looked pointedly at Ed's steel arm.

"What did you do to it?"

Not waiting for an answer, Winry opened her toolkit and began poking at Ed's arm. The amount of rust and minor damage to it made her pull out her trusty wrench and hit Ed over the head.

There was lot of work to do, Winry realized with a mix of nostalgia and irritation as she examined his leg.

* * *

(Time Skip + Ed POV)

He'd been back for a week and people still weren't used to seeing him around.

It wasn't because he was short. No, he was nearly as tall as Winry now and ever since he'd made the deal with Truth, he'd been growing steadily.

It must have something to do with his reputation. After all, he was the famed Fullmetal Alchemist; Hero of the People and youngest person to ever pass the State Alchemist exam.

In the week he'd been back in Amestris, he'd filled in all the details about his time in England that he could remember - there were a few blank spots where the dark voice in his head were involved - and been thoroughly welcomed back by all of his friends.

Ed was still amazed whenever he saw Al. Sure, he was still too-thin, but he had his body back. They had looked for so long for a way to regain their bodies, and now their search was over. Ed doubted he would ever get his limbs back, but Al's body was far more important.

And something had changed. He felt kind of nervous whenever he saw Winry. They'd been friends since childhood. He wasn't afraid of her - okay, maybe a little, but this wasn't it. So Ed spent some time pondering it.

His realization after he thought about it had led him to where he was right now. Staring at Winry's door, Ed wondered what the hell he was doing. Too late. Her door was opening.

"Ed?" She sounded faintly surprised.

Pushing down his anxiety, he grinned and said, "I was feeling kind of restless and like I needed to talk to someone. Do you wanna go on a walk?"

Nothing sounded wrong with her tone as she replied, "Okay."

A few minutes later and they were strolling quietly in a park, somewhere in Central. Ed had no idea that Central actually had parks, but that wasn't important.

The voice had disappeared along with the pain in his head. Ed hadn't felt it since he had activated the array, leaving behind the world of magic. The blonde wondered why he was thinking about that now, of all times.

Pushing the thoughts aside, he came to a stop, pulling up every last bit of courage.

"Winry," he said, blushing already.

"Yeah?" She said, turning to look at him.

"Um…"

"Well, what is it?"

Ed pointed at her, face burning. "Equivalent exchange! I'll give half of my life to you, if you give half of yours to me!"

She froze, then sighed and facepalmed. "Aww… come on. Do you have to treat everything like alchemy? The whole equivalent exchange thing is just nonsense!"

"What'd you say?!" Ed nearly cried.

"Ugh! It's nonsense! How about I just give you my whole life?!"

Silence. They stared at each other.

Then Winry gasped and blushed. "Uh! Maybe not all of it! Ninety...maybe eighty percent? Seventy! That's not enough! Eighty-five..yeah, eighty-five is a good number!"

Ed started laughing.

"What?! Shut up! Edward!"

"You are so incredible! You knocked equivalent exchange flat on it's butt in just a few words!"

"And what's that mean? Are you making fun of me?" Winry scowled, also blushing.

"Not at all! It's just awesome!"

Ed hugged her and a tacit understanding was formed.

Hand in hand, laughing, they continued walking through the park.

* * *

The End

* * *

 **I was debating for a while whether to have a fluffy ending (which I do) or a dark one. As you all know, I went with fluffy.**

 **I'm worried I might have left some loose ends, so if you have questions, please review and I will either try to edit my story to accommodate that or I will reply to your review.**

 **Honestly, I'm glad this is the last chapter because I am lazy and writing takes...too...much...effort...**

 **I probably will write more fanfiction, so...yeah. This isn't the end of me.**

 **Alright then, au revoir!**


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